The Challenging Problems of Cancer and Serious Mental Illness.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Patients with Serious Mental Illness (SMI) are reported to be at higher risk for somatic disorders (e.g. cardiovascular and metabolic diseases) and higher mortality, compared to the general population, because of the consequences of SMI including psychotropic medication side effects, sedentary and unhealthy lifestyle, difficult access to physical health care.

Network ecology: Tie fitness in social context(s).

Social relations are embedded in material, cultural, and institutional settings that affect network dynamics and the resulting topologies. For example, romantic entanglements are subject to social and cultural norms, interfirm alliances are constrained by country-specific legislation, and adolescent friendships are conditioned by classroom settings and neighborhood effects. In short, social contexts shape social relations and the networks they give rise to.

When Bad News Comes Through the Portal: Strengthening Trust and Guiding Patients When They Receive Bad Results Before Their Clinicians.

Communication in oncology was challenging long before the emergence of the US 21st Century Cures Act. Before 2021, a growing body of evidence had demonstrated the benefits of patients' access to and review of the clinical notes in their charts (open notes); however, studies examining the benefits of immediate access to test results were scarce until the implementation of the Cures Act's Information Blocking Rule. Individuals grappling with cancer today now possess immediate access to their laboratory results, imaging scans, diagnostic tests, and progress notes as mandated by law.

Assessment of Decision-Making Capacity in 97 Hospitalized Patients With Cancer: A Call for Standardization.

Hospitalized patients with cancer face pivotal decisions that will affect their cancer care trajectory and quality of life, but frequently lack decision making capacity (DMC). Standardization is conspicuously missing for inpatient oncology teams and for consultation-liaison psychiatrists performing DMC assessments for patients with cancer. This study sought to characterize a single institutional experience of psychiatric consultations to assess DMC.