Practical model for psychosocial care

Patients with cancer and their families need and deserve psychosocial services as part of their health care. It is critical for cancer service providers to find ways to deliver economically feasible psychosocial care.

A small counseling services program was introduced at a regional cancer center affiliated with a medical school and a county hospital in the southwestern United States. Development of the program over a 5-year period was documented.

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) recognizes the provision of psychosocial care to patients with cancer as the first of 10 newly developed standards of care. Since 2004, a team of psychology graduate students and their supervisor/professor have provided counseling services to patients and families in a regional, medical school-affiliated cancer center that serves a large catchment area of rural and semi-rural communities. The team began working in the outpatient clinic, infusion area, radiation area, and bone marrow transplantation unit. Additions to the services have included increased coverage of clinics, provision of consultation services to staff, and three Grand Rounds presentations on aspects of patient-health care provider communication. Research has shown that counseling services collocated with medical services are the most used and effective, so a trans-disciplinary approach has been taken throughout. In addition, assessment, intervention, and follow-up as well as effective communication between patients, families, and care providers have characterized the counseling team.

With creative partnering, comprehensive cancer care-including psychosocial care-can be delivered effectively and efficiently to patients with cancer and their families.