Zimmermann-Schlegel, Verena and Hartmann, Mechthild and Sklenarova, Halina and Herzog, Wolfgang and Haun, Markus W. (2017) Accessibility, Availability, and Potential Benefits of Psycho-Oncology Services: The Perspective of Community-Based Physicians Providing Cancer Survivorship Care. ONCOLOGIST, 22 (6). pp. 719-727. ISSN 1083-7159, 1549-490X
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Background. As persons of trust, community-based physicians providing survivorship care (e.g., general practitioners [GPs]) often serve as the primary contacts for cancer survivors disclosing distress. From the perspective of physicians providing survivorship care for cancer patients, this study explores (a) the accessibility, availability, and potential benefits of psychooncology services; (b) whether physicians themselves provide psychosocial support; and (c) predictors for impeded referrals of survivors to services. Methods. In a cross-sectional survey, all GPs and community-based specialists in a defined region were interviewed. In addition to descriptive analyses, categorical data were investigated by applying chi-square tests. Predictors for impeded referrals were explored through logistic regression. Results. Of 683 responding physicians, the vast majority stated that survivors benefit from psycho-oncology services (96.8%), but the physicians also articulated that insufficient coverage of psycho-oncology services (90.9%) was often accompanied by impeded referrals (77.7%). A substantial proportion (14.9%) of physicians did not offer any psychosocial support. The odds of physicians in rural areas reporting impeded referrals were 1.91 times greater than the odds of physicians in large urban areas making a similar report (95% confidence interval [1.07, 3.40]). Conclusion. Most community-based physicians providing survivorship care regard psycho-oncology services as highly beneficial. However, a large number of physicians report tremendous difficulty referring patients. Focusing on those physicians not providing any psychosocial support, health policy approaches should specifically (a) raise awareness of the role of physicians as persons of trust for survivors, (b) highlight the effectiveness of psycho-oncology services, and (c) encourage a proactive attitude toward the assessment of unmet needs and the initiation of comprehensive care.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | CLINICAL-PRACTICE GUIDELINES; MENTAL-HEALTH RESOURCES; PSYCHOSOMATIC-MEDICINE; LUNG-CANCER; OF-LIFE; DISTRESS; QUALITY; DEPRESSION; ATTITUDES; BARRIERS; Neoplasms; Clinical oncology; Health psychology; General practice; Health services research |
| Subjects: | 600 Technology > 610 Medical sciences Medicine |
| Divisions: | Medicine > Abteilung für Forensische Psychiatrie |
| Depositing User: | Dr. Gernot Deinzer |
| Date Deposited: | 14 Dec 2018 13:10 |
| Last Modified: | 12 Feb 2019 13:04 |
| URI: | https://pred.uni-regensburg.de/id/eprint/771 |
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