Evaluation of a face-to-face psychosocial screening intervention for cancer patients: acceptance and effects on quality of life.

Objective: This study evaluated a psychosocial screening intervention that offers cancer patients counselling. The assumption underlying the intervention was that barriers are often present that hamper patients' awareness of and active request for psychosocial care. An active yet unobtrusive approach was hypothesized to improve accessibility to psychosocial services.

Methods: In a sequential cohort design, patients newly admitted to the oncology department of an academic hospital were assigned to a usual care group (n=50) or a screening group (n=79). A retrospective, medical records group (n=89) was also included. At baseline and 4 weeks following discharge, the usual care and screening groups completed mental health and quality of life questionnaires.

Results: Half the screening group actually wanted and received counselling. At follow-up, the screening group reported significantly less pain, better mental health and better physical and role functioning than the usual care group.

Conclusion: The face-to-face screening intervention appears an effective means of identifying patients interested in obtaining formal psychosocial counselling, and may result in improvements in physical and mental health outcomes.

Practice Implications: This screening intervention may be particularly useful for hospitals that prefer a personal approach to psychosocial screening, but do not have sufficient resources to interview every new patient.