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abstract
Institutional capacity to provide psychosocial oncology support services: A report from the Association of Oncology Social Work
BACKGROUND
This study reports cancer-treating institutions' capacity to deliver comprehensive psychosocial support services.
METHODS
Oncology
care providers at 60 cancer-treating institutions completed surveys
assessing the capacity of their institutions to provide psychosocial
care. Capacity was assessed with the Cancer Psychosocial Care Matrix
(CPCM) from the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Scores represented
individuals' perceptions of their cancer program's performance with
respect to 10 fundamental elements of psychosocial care.
RESULTS
Among
2134 respondents, 62% reported a mid-level capacity for ≥5 of 10 CPCM
items. In comparison with other types of cancer programs (eg,
NCI-designated, academic, or comprehensive centers), providers at
community cancer programs reported a significantly greater capacity with
respect to patient-provider communication, psychosocial needs
assessment, and continuity in the delivery of psychosocial care over
time. Nurses and primary medical providers reported a significantly
lower capacity for linking patients and families with needed
psychosocial services within their respective cancer programs. They also
reported a significantly higher capacity for conducting follow-up,
re-evaluations, and adjustments of psychosocial treatment plans.
CONCLUSIONS
Cancer
programs are performing moderately well in terms of communicating to
patients the importance of psychosocial care, identifying patient
psychosocial needs, and referring patients and families to psychosocial
services. They are doing less well with respect to the provision of that
care over time. Findings suggest that gaps in psychosocial service
capacity are a function of patient, provider, and system
characteristics. These results may be useful in formulating strategies
to enhance psychosocial care delivery.
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