Schuit Anouk S, Holtmaat Karen, van Zwieten Valesca, Aukema Eline J, Gransier Lotte, Cuijpers Pim, Verdonck-de Leeuw Irma M
Department of Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Cancer Center Amsterdam (CCA), Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Front Psychol. 2021 Apr 22;12:625117. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.625117. eCollection 2021.
Cancer patients often suffer from psychological distress during or after cancer treatment, but the use of psycho-oncological care among cancer patients is limited. One of the reasons might be that the way psycho-oncological care is organized, does not fit patients' preferences. This study aimed to obtain detailed insight into cancer patients' preferences regarding the organization of psycho-oncological care.
18 semi-structured interviews were conducted among cancer patients. Patients completed psycho-oncological treatment between 2015 and 2020 at the psychology department in a general hospital or a center specialized in psychological cancer care in the Netherlands. The interview comprised questions related to preferences regarding the institute where to receive treatment, the psychologist who provides treatment, and the type of treatment, as well as questions related to experienced barriers and facilitators to receive psycho-oncological care. Interviews were digitally recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed individually by two coders into key issues and themes.
Regarding the institute, easy accessibility and prompt availability of psychol-oncological care were considered important. Regarding the psychologist, most participants had a strong preference to be treated by a psychologist specialized in cancer or other somatic diseases. Individual face-to-face therapy was preferred above other types of treatment. Several barriers were mentioned to receive psycho-oncological treatment, among which poor accessibility to psycho-oncological care, lack of knowledge on the possibilities for psycho-oncological treatment, and stigma. Most frequently mentioned facilitators were being assertive to ask for help, having a good relationship with the healthcare professional, and the integration of psycho-oncological support within medical cancer care.
From the patient's perspective, the organization of psycho-oncological care for cancer patients should focus on easy accessibility and availability, delivered by specialized psychologists, and integration in medical cancer care. Online and group therapy are acceptable, but individual face-to-face therapy is preferred. It is warranted to increase awareness on psycho-oncological care targeting both patients and healthcare providers.
癌症患者在癌症治疗期间或之后常遭受心理困扰，但癌症患者对心理肿瘤学护理的使用有限。原因之一可能是心理肿瘤学护理的组织方式不符合患者的偏好。本研究旨在深入了解癌症患者对心理肿瘤学护理组织方式的偏好。
对癌症患者进行了18次半结构化访谈。患者于2015年至2020年期间在荷兰一家综合医院的心理科或一家专门从事癌症心理护理的中心完成了心理肿瘤学治疗。访谈包括与接受治疗的机构、提供治疗的心理学家、治疗类型的偏好相关的问题，以及与接受心理肿瘤学护理所经历的障碍和促进因素相关的问题。访谈进行了数字录音并逐字转录。数据由两名编码员分别分析为关键问题和主题。
关于机构，心理肿瘤学护理的易及性和及时可得性被认为很重要。关于心理学家，大多数参与者强烈倾向于由专门从事癌症或其他躯体疾病的心理学家进行治疗。个体面对面治疗比其他类型的治疗更受青睐。提到了接受心理肿瘤学治疗的几个障碍，其中包括心理肿瘤学护理的可及性差、对心理肿瘤学治疗可能性的知识缺乏以及耻辱感。最常提到的促进因素是积极寻求帮助、与医疗保健专业人员建立良好关系以及心理肿瘤学支持融入癌症医疗护理。
从患者的角度来看，癌症患者心理肿瘤学护理的组织应侧重于易及性和可得性，由专业心理学家提供，并融入癌症医疗护理。在线和团体治疗是可以接受的，但个体面对面治疗更受青睐。有必要提高针对患者和医疗保健提供者的心理肿瘤学护理意识。
