Cancer Council Victoria, 615 St Kilda Rd, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia.
School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, 3010, VIC, Australia.
Support Care Cancer. 2018 Mar;26(3):787-795. doi: 10.1007/s00520-017-3890-6. Epub 2017 Sep 17.
To implement and evaluate a hospital-based referral mechanism to increase patient uptake of community-based cancer information and support services. Feasibility and acceptability of the intervention and education program was evaluated. Changes in usage of Cancer Council Victoria's cancer information and support telephone line were investigated.
A 6-month study was conducted in one metropolitan and one regional cancer treatment hospital. Clinicians attended an education session regarding referral mechanisms to Cancer Council support services. Clinicians completed a questionnaire, and consenting patients participated in a semi-structured telephone interview for the project evaluation. The number of calls made from patients at study sites was monitored.
Fifty-two clinicians were trained and referred a total of 430 patients to the cancer information and support service during the study period. Calls from patients increased by up to 100% per month from baseline following the implementation of the referral mechanism. Staff evaluations showed support for the referral mechanism and its incorporation into routine practice. Interviews were conducted with 45 patients; most remembered receiving the referral and were positive towards the intervention. Common reasons patients gave for not acting on the referral included forgetting, lack of need, timing and burden of information.
There is preliminary evidence that this intervention increases awareness and uptake of community-based cancer information and support services. Ongoing clinician education and improvements in patient-clinician communication are important for effective translation from referral to service uptake. Consideration of the most appropriate time in a patients' care trajectory to introduce a referral is warranted.
实施并评估一种基于医院的转介机制，以增加患者接受社区癌症信息和支持服务的机会。评估干预措施和教育计划的可行性和可接受性。调查了癌症委员会维多利亚癌症信息和支持热线使用情况的变化。
在一家都市癌症治疗医院和一家地区癌症治疗医院进行了为期 6 个月的研究。临床医生参加了关于向癌症委员会支持服务转介机制的教育课程。临床医生完成了一份调查问卷，同意参与项目评估的患者接受了半结构化电话访谈。监测了研究地点的患者来电数量。
共有 52 名临床医生接受了培训，并在研究期间共向 430 名患者转介到癌症信息和支持服务。自实施转介机制以来，患者来电数量每月最多增加了 100%。工作人员的评估表明支持转介机制及其纳入常规实践。对 45 名患者进行了访谈；大多数人记得收到了转介，并对干预措施持积极态度。患者未采取行动的常见原因包括忘记、不需要、信息的时间和负担。
有初步证据表明，这种干预措施提高了对社区癌症信息和支持服务的认识和接受度。为了有效地将转介转化为服务使用，临床医生需要持续教育和改善医患沟通。考虑在患者治疗轨迹的最合适时间引入转介是值得的。
