Table 4.

Response Characteristics

Type of response	Number of Codes (%)	Example
Implicit-Providing Space
Back Channel	132 (32)	Mother: And I just felt like I was the one running all the care. Physician: Right.
Acknowledge	31 (8)	Father: Well, at this point in time, we’re assuming, everything we’re seeing, there’s a chance of really bad stuff happening, we know that. Physician: Yeah, I don’t mean to beat it in.
Implicit Empathy	21 (3)	Father: And I don’t have the huge support that other people have. Physician: I am sorry to hear that you have all this going on. It feels like there is a lot weighing on your shoulders.
Active Invitation	4 (1)	Father: Plus all the other stuff that we are going through and this on top of it. Physician: [Father’s name] you have alluded a couple of times about the stuff that you are going through and it would just help me to know even generally what those things are.
Implicit-Reducing Space
Information-Advise	114 (28)	Father: That is part of the lack of understanding that we have about this that I think has raised our level of concern is while everyone doesn’t seem to be doing a good job talking to each other, is this thing just exploding inside of her? Physician: Yeah. I really don’t think that it is. We will take a quick look at her but she looks great and that marrow wasn’t done very long ago.
Ignore	42 (10)	Father: Well if you’re nervous, then I am nervous about the whole thing. Physician: And then I think the radiation we talked about a little bit last time.
Shutting Down	4 (1)	Child: [Starts crying.] No. Psychologist: [Child]. Listen to [Doctor] because she has got to explain something. Listen.
Explicit-Providing Space
Explore Content	30 (7)	Mother: I mean we talk about it time to time. I think he just tries to enjoy the days that he has. He just wants to do fun stuff and kind of use diversion as a way to kind of not think about it… Physician: Is he aware that he could die as well? Has he thought about that or is he more focused on his arm?
Acknowledge Content	18 (4)	Mother: It is just hard just not knowing how you are going to feel. That’s all. It is a big day. I don’t know. Physician: I mean the other… yeah, it is hard to predict…
Explore Affect	5 (1)	Child: No. I was just upset. Physician: You were just upset. About what?
Empathy	2 (<1)	Child: I don’t know. I was just sad. Physician: You were sad? I am sorry…
Acknowledge Affect	1 (<1)	Mother: We were all scared to death. Nurse: I mean it is still…please I am not downplaying it. It is very scary.
Explicit-Reducing Space
Switching	5 (1)	Father: That is part of like the past 6 months of things that are like just her behavior and stuff. Physician: It sounds like you both are dealing with a lot. Um, I know in the past, um, I know we have talked a little bit and you have met with [psychologist].