Abstract: The core of healthcare quality is continuous improvement of processes and results. For cancer patients, psychosocial care can affect overall outcomes. In this article, we outline the efforts that a national comprehensive cancer center is using to bring psychosocial care to the same level of awareness, importance, and integration as clinical care. Improving all aspects of patient care, psychosocial as well as biological, must be pursued if progress in overall quality of cancer care is to be achieved.
In addition to the physical concerns associated with a primary diagnosis of cancer, it is very common for cancer patients to experience corresponding psychological problems such as depression and anxiety (Carlsen, Jensen, Jacobsen, Krasnik, & Johansen, 2005; Hegel et al., 2006; Spiegel & Giese-Davis, 2003). Fatigue, pain, reduced physical capacity, and the logistics associated with an ongoing treatment regimen, often lead to an overall decrease in functioning that can affect key relationships at home and work. Combined, these psychological and social factors add another layer of complexity to the already challenging medical concerns of cancer patients. “People diagnosed with cancer, and their families, must not only live with and manage the challenges and risks posed to their physical health but also overcome psychosocial obstacles that can interfere with their health care and diminish their health and functioning” (Institute of Medicine, Committee on Psychosocial Services, 2007, p. 4).
Recent research has confirmed a connection between psychosocial concerns and clinical outcomes. A longitudinal study of breast cancer patients examined the impact of stress as a risk factor for cancer progression. The study found that patients receiving a psychological intervention had improved survival rates compared with those that did not receive the intervention (Andersen et al., 2008).
Recognizing that overall prognosis may be compromised if psychosocial care is not addressed, the number one recommendation for action by the Institute of Medicine, Committee on Psychosocial Services (2007) emphasizes a standard of care, which ensures the provision of appropriate psychosocial health services to cancer patients. The remainder of this article presents how MD Anderson Cancer Center has adapted its psychosocial practices to better meet the needs of its patients.
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http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1945-1474.2010.00099.x/full
