- Title
- Health workers' perceptions of psychosocial support services for cancer patients in rural Victoria
- Creator
- Lee, Jillian
- Date
- 2007
- Type
- Text; Journal article
- Identifier
- http://researchonline.federation.edu.au/vital/access/HandleResolver/1959.17/33000
- Identifier
- vital:517
- Identifier
- ISSN:0311-306X
- Abstract
- Literature attests to the fact that psychosocial needs for cancer patients are not being adequately addressed. The tools, frameworks and guidelines developed, reflect differing professional perspectives and models of disease. Most studies have usually looked at what is happening from the patient and family's viewpoint in terms of medical and other needs. New national initiatives in psychosocial care include the organisation of nationwide practitioner workshops to encourage the implementation of the Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Psychosocial Care of Adults with Cancer. These guidelines focus mainly on the emotional and existential areas of need. The aim of this study was to: understand how a diversity of approaches and professional perspectives play out in everyday practice within a rural context; see how issues of distance and access affect this process; and highlight the deficiencies in the delivery of psychosocial services for cancer patients in rural Victoria. The study involved 59 questionnaire respondents (a 71% response rate), from which two interviews and six focus group discussions were drawn. Key findings were: regional and metropolitan hospitals and specialists not referring for support services; private patients missing out; general practitioners not referring to support services; late referrals to palliative care and district nursing; haphazard continuity of care for support needs of patients; and disputed responsibility for initial assessment.; C1
- Publisher
- Cancer Council Australia
- Relation
- Cancer Forum Vol. 31, no. 2 (2007), p. 94-98
- Rights
- Open Access
- Rights
- Copyright Cancer Council Australia
- Rights
- This metadata is freely available under a CCO license
- Subject
- 1112 Oncology and Carcinogenesis; Cancer; Rural; Psychology; Psychosocial
- Full Text
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