A cross-sectional audit of current practices and areas for improvement of distress screening and management in Australian cancer services: is there a will and a way to improve?

Background: It is unknown how many distressed patients receive the additional supportive care recommended by Australian evidence-based distress management guidelines. The study identifies the (1) distress screening practices of Australian cancer services; (2) barriers to improving practices; and (3) implementation strategies which are acceptable to service representatives interested in improving screening practices.

Method: Clinic leads from 220 cancer services were asked to nominate an individual involved in daily patient care to complete a cross-sectional survey on behalf of the service.

Study Protocol: Evaluation of a DVD intervention designed to meet the informaton needs of patients with head and neck cancer and their partner, carer and families.

Background: Patients who undergo surgery for cancer of the head and neck and their families face complex and difficult challenges and are at risk of anxiety and depression and inability to cope with symptom and treatment burden. Information available to support them is not flexible enough to adjust to individual need.

Design/methods: A randomised clinical trial pre and post intervention design, comparing the use of a tailored DVD intervention, provided preoperatively and used throughout the post- operative period, with usual treatment.

Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial of Proactive Web-Based Versus Telephone-Based Information and Support: Can Electronic Platforms Deliver Effective Care for Lung Cancer Patients?

Background: Community-based services such as telephone support lines can provide valuable informational, emotional, and practical support for cancer patients via telephone- or Web-based (live chat or email) platforms. However, very little rigorous research has examined the efficacy of such services in improving patient outcomes.

Objective: This study will determine whether: proactive telephone or Web-delivered support produces outcomes superior to printed information; and Web-delivered support produces outcomes comparable to telephone support.

Collaborative Patient-Centered Quality Improvement: A Cross-Sectional Survey Comparing the Types and Numbers of Quality Initiatives Selected by Patients and Health Professionals.

Identification of patients' and health professionals' quality improvement preferences is an essential first step in collaborative improvement models. This includes experience-based codesign (EBCD), where service change is strategically introduced following stakeholder consultation. This study compared the number and types of improvement initiatives selected by outpatients and health professionals.

The PACT study protocol: a time series study investigating the impact, acceptability and cost of an integrated model for psychosocial screening, care and treatment of patients with urological and head and neck cancers.

Introduction: While there is good evidence of the effectiveness of a variety of interventions and services to prevent and/or relieve distress experienced by people affected by cancer, much of this psychosocial morbidity is undetected and untreated, with consequent exacerbated suffering, decreased satisfaction with care, impaired adherence to treatment regimens and poorer morbidity and mortality outcomes. The objective of this study is to develop, implement and assess the impact, acceptability and cost of an integrated, patient-centred Psychosocial Assessment, Care and Treatment (PACT) model of care for patients with urological and head and neck cancers.

Methods And Analysis: A time series research design will be used to test the PACT model of care, newly introduced in an Australian tertiary hospital.

The experiences of head and neck cancer patients requiring major surgery.

Background: The prevalence of head and neck cancers is lower (3.5% of total cancers in Australia) than for a number of other cancers. Treatment for head and neck cancer is often drastic and debilitating and patient outcomes are poorer.