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Doctor’s recommendations for psychosocial care: Frequency and predictors of recommendations and referrals.
- Source :
-
PLoS ONE . 10/4/2018, Vol. 13 Issue 10, p1-11. 11p. - Publication Year :
- 2018
-
Abstract
- Background: A significant number of oncological patients are heavily burdened by psychosocial stress. Doctors recommending or referring their patients to psycho-oncologists in the course of routine consultations can positively influence psycho-oncological care. The aim of this study was to analyze the frequency and predictors of such recommendations and to examine the use of these services by patients. Methods: 4,020 cancer patients (mean age 58 years; 51% women) were evaluated in a multicenter, cross-sectional study in Germany. Data was gathered about doctors’ referral practices, patients’ utilization of psycho-oncological care services, and disease-related symptoms. The PHQ-9 depression scale and the GAD-7 anxiety scale were used to measure psychological burden. Descriptive data analysis was conducted on the basis of subgroup comparisons and multivariable analysis was done using binary logistical regression. Results: 21.9% of the respondents reported having been given a recommendation or referral for psycho-oncological care by a doctor within the course of their cancer diagnosis and treatment. This comprises 29.5% of the patients identified by screening as being psychologically burdened. Nearly half of the patients who received a recommendation or referral (49.8%) acted on it. Predictors for seeking out psycho-oncological care included: patient desire (OR = 2.0), previous experience with psycho-oncological care (OR = 1.59), and female gender (OR = 1.57). Multivariable analysis indicated that patients’ level of psychological burden (depression, anxiety) had no effect on whether doctors gave them a recommendation or referral. Conclusions: Along with examining the degree to which patients are burdened (e.g. using screening instruments), determining whether or not patients would like to receive psycho-oncological care is an important aspect of improving referral practices and, by extension, will allow important progress in the field of psycho-oncological care to be made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 19326203
- Volume :
- 13
- Issue :
- 10
- Database :
- Academic Search Index
- Journal :
- PLoS ONE
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 132144930
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0205160