Doctor's recommendations for psychosocial care: Frequency and predictors of recommendations and referrals
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Doctor's recommendations for psychosocial care: Frequency and predictors of recommendations and referrals. / Ernst, Jochen; Faller, Hermann; Koch, Uwe; Brähler, Elmar; Härter, Martin; Schulz, Holger; Weis, Joachim; Köhler, Norbert; Hinz, Andreas; Mehnert, Anja.
In: PLOS ONE, Vol. 13, No. 10, 2018, p. e0205160.Research output: SCORING: Contribution to journal › SCORING: Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Doctor's recommendations for psychosocial care: Frequency and predictors of recommendations and referrals
AU - Ernst, Jochen
AU - Faller, Hermann
AU - Koch, Uwe
AU - Brähler, Elmar
AU - Härter, Martin
AU - Schulz, Holger
AU - Weis, Joachim
AU - Köhler, Norbert
AU - Hinz, Andreas
AU - Mehnert, Anja
PY - 2018
Y1 - 2018
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
KW - Journal Article
U2 - 10.1371/journal.pone.0205160
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0205160
M3 - SCORING: Journal article
C2 - 30286172
VL - 13
SP - e0205160
JO - PLOS ONE
JF - PLOS ONE
SN - 1932-6203
IS - 10
ER -