JCO - Editorial: Caring for the Whole Patient: The Science of Psychosocial Care

open access: Editorial (special series) Caring for the Whole Patient: The Science of Psychosocial Care

"This Journal of Clinical Oncology Special Series relates to the
science of psychosocial care. This series is designed to provide oncology
professionals with the most recent information about the psychological,
psychiatric, and social aspects of cancer care. The emergence of
the field of psychosocial care reflects growing public and professional
awareness of the potential for cancer and its treatment to have profound
effects on many aspects of life. A principal goal of psychosocial
care is to recognizeandaddress the effects that cancerandits treatment
have on the mental status and emotional well-being of patients, their
family members, and their professional caregivers....."

The Royal College of Physicians of London roars : The Lancet

The Royal College of Physicians of London roars : The Lancet

Vignette-Based Study of Ovarian Cancer Screening: Do U.S. Physicians Report Adhering to Evidence-Based Recommendations?

Abstract

"Background: No professional society or group recommends routine ovarian cancer screening, yet physicians' enthusiasm for several cancer screening tests before benefit has been proven suggests that some women may be exposed to potential harms.

Objective: To provide nationally representative estimates of physicians' reported nonadherence to recommendations against ovarian cancer screening.

Design: Cross-sectional survey of physicians offering women's primary care. The 12-page questionnaire contained a woman's annual examination vignette and questions about offers or orders for transvaginal ultrasonography (TVU) and cancer antigen 125 (CA-125).........."

US physician whistleblowers face intimidation and retaliation : The Lancet Oncology

Note: partial summary/pay-per-view article "Reporting of billing fraud or drug company kickbacks is safe, and sometimes even lucrative, for US clinicians. But according to clinicians and advocates, physicians who voice concern about patient care routinely face institutional retaliation. “Blacklisting is more aggressive in the medical profession than any other industry”, says Tom Devine (Government Accountability Project, Washington, DC, USA). Although the Whistleblower Protection Act should protect federal physicians and other government ...

Test Results Management (Canadian Patient Safety/College of Physicians & Surgeons Ontario)

Physician's Focus: Bad News—How to Deliver It Well - - ModernMedicine

To help sharpen physician communication skills, ModernMedicine presents expert advice on breaking bad news to patients, along with related insightful content. Patients with a poorer prognosis recall less than other patients, regardless of age, and the more information the physician gives a patient, the less they recall. This can create situations where patients don’t absorb important information, such as about treatment and follow-up, and may be unable to pass it on to family members or caregivers.
How to communicate bad news to patients
How to deliver bad news to patients in such a way that it won't be all they remember and to ensure they understand the diagnosis and treatment plan.
How to communicate risk to patients
Counseling patients on risks needs to be more than just obtaining informed consent. Every patient deserves to hear the potential positive and negative outcomes of a procedure or treatment using language and data that can be easily understood.
BLOG: Breaking bad news
A physician’s eyes and face reveal the truth as soon as they step into a patient’s room.
CME Activity: Preventing medical errors for clinical health professionals
Communication factors contributing to error include failure to understand, cultural and language difficulties, conflicting information, and delayed exchange of information.

Editorial: Who Are We and Where Are We Headed? Journal of Oncology Practice

Note: factors/needs affecting physicians taking care of patients

NCI : People Continue to Trust Physicians, Despite Increasing Health Information Online

"According to a recent NCI survey, the public’s trust in their physicians has continued to rise in spite of the fact that people report turning to the Internet first for their health information needs. In contrast, trust in the Internet and other more traditional sources such as television has been on the decline. The survey also showed a consistent increase in the number of Americans who communicate with their doctors through e-mail. A letter about the findings from staff who oversee NCI’s Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) appeared March 4 in the New England Journal of Medicine.