Abstract
<title>Abstract</title> <p>Purpose Unpaid caregivers play an increasingly important role in supporting people with cancer but often report feeling unprepared and unsupported in their role. To inform more effective caregiver support strategies, we investigated the informational needs of cancer caregivers and patients and their association with health literacy, digital literacy, and caregiver experience. Methods In this cross-sectional observational study, caregivers (N = 115) and patients with cancer (N = 99) from a large urban cancer centre completed assessments of their informational needs, as well as their health literacy and digital proficiency. Caregivers additionally completed validated measures of caregiver experience, including burden, preparedness, competence, and perceived reward. Informational needs were evaluated across six knowledge domains: medical, physical, practical, psychological, social, and spiritual. Stepwise regression analyses were conducted to examine associations between informational needs, health and digital literacy, and caregiver experience. Results Participants reported substantial needs for medical and practical information and expressed a clear preference for receiving this content through multiple formats, including pamphlets and videos. Caregivers with higher health literacy demonstrated fewer unmet informational needs and experienced lower caregiver burden, alongside greater preparedness, competence, and reward. Conclusion These findings underscore a critical need for proactive medical and practical support for caregivers, complementing existing psychological interventions. By integrating caregiver and patient perspectives and linking informational needs to health literacy, digital literacy, and caregiving experience, this study highlights the importance of health-literate, multi-modal educational strategies tailored to caregivers’ needs. Efforts to enhance public health literacy may better equip individuals who assume caregiving roles to navigate the demands and complexities of caregiving.</p>