Concordance Between Self-Reported Completion of Advance Care Planning Documentation and Availability of Documentation in Australian Health and Residential Aged Care Services.

Context: Advance care planning (ACP) documentation needs to be available at the point of care to guide and inform medical treatment decision-making.

Objective: To examine concordance between self-reported completion of ACP documentation and self-reported storage of the documentation at the person's current point of care with the availability of the documentation in that person's health record.

Methods: A national multicenter audit of health records and a self-report survey of eligible audit participants in 51 Australian health and residential aged care services.

Depression and cancer.

Depression in patients with cancer can present a challenging clinical problem for both general practitioners and the oncology team. Detecting depression in a patient with cancer, who may be debilitated and in pain, can be difficult. Cancer treatments can complicate antidepressant choices.

Understanding how cancer patients actualise, relinquish, and reject advance care planning: implications for practice.

Purpose: Although advance care planning (ACP) is recognised as integral to quality cancer care, it remains poorly integrated in many settings. Given cancer patients' unpredictable disease trajectories and equivocal treatment options, a disease-specific ACP model may be necessary. This study examines how Australian cancer patients consider ACP.

A longitudinal study of distress (depression and anxiety) up to 18 months after radiotherapy for head and neck cancer.

Objective: The aim of the study was to assess symptoms of depression and anxiety in patients with head and neck cancer up to 18 months after radiotherapy.

Methods: Prospective observational study of consecutive head and neck outpatients was conducted at a tertiary cancer centre (n = 101). Eligibility included diagnosis of cancer in the head and neck region, where the patient agreed to radiotherapy with curative intent.

Psychological distress (depression and anxiety) in people with head and neck cancers.

Objective: To assess symptoms of depression and anxiety in patients with head and neck cancers (HNCs) before and after radiotherapy.

Design, Participants And Setting: Prospective observational study of 102 outpatients with HNCs at a tertiary cancer centre in Melbourne between 1 May 2008 and 30 May 2009. Eligibility criteria were a first-time diagnosis of HNC, age over 17 years, and agreement to undergo cancer treatment involving radiotherapy with curative intent.

The practical challenges of recruitment and retention when providing psychotherapy to advanced breast cancer patients.

Goals Of Work: The goal of the present study was to investigate recruitment issues relevant to psychotherapy trials for metastatic cancer patients. First, we undertook a literature review of the psychotherapy intervention research for metastatic cancer patients. Second, we piloted pragmatic recruitment methods for a couples' intervention for women with metastatic breast cancer and their partners.

Development of a psychoeducational intervention for men with prostate cancer.

This study aimed to develop and implement a nurse-led psychoeducational group program for men receiving radiotherapy for prostate cancer. These groups are part of a larger multidisciplinary care intervention, which is designed to enhance patient involvement in care. The manual for the groups was developed using a literature review and expert opinion from a multidisciplinary team consisting of radiation oncologists, urology nurses, behavioral scientists, psychologists, radiation therapists, and consumers.

Survivorship issues following treatment completion--results from focus groups with Australian cancer survivors and health professionals.

Background: The number of cancer survivors is increasing dramatically. Many survivors report long-term psychosocial, physical and other consequences. To understand the issues faced by Australian cancer survivors we conducted focus groups with cancer patients and health professionals.

Unmet needs in cancer patients: development of a supportive needs screening tool (SNST).

Goals Of Work: A diagnosis of cancer can have a profound impact on the physical, emotional, psychological, social and spiritual areas of a person's life. Supportive care services are directed towards this full range of issues associated with cancer. Identification of need is the first step in meeting supportive care concerns, but there is a lack of tools and processes regularly used in clinical practice.