Objectives:
1) To assess the adaptability of a short screening tool for identifying cancer patients suffering from high psychological distress.
2) To assess its efficiency in identifying distress in different cancer types and across different stages of disease, age groups and population groups (Jews, Arabs, new immigrants).
3) To assess change in level of distress in patients who received psycho-social intervention due to being identified in high distress.
Hypothesis:
The study will be conducted at the oncology department at Rambam Medical Center and in home care units of Maccabi Health services. In stage 1, primary validation of the tool with 100 patients will be conducted, and a cutoff score will be identified. In stage 2, 500 breast, pulmonary, colorectal and prostate cancer patients, aged 25-80, will be assessed with the short screening tool, including a distress thermometer and a list of problem dimensions, BSI for psychological symptoms and HADS for identifying anxiety and depression. In stage 3, patients in high distress as identified by the screening tool and 100 randomly samples patients with low distress score, will be referred for further evaluation and if needed, for psycho-social intervention adapted to the specific dimensions of problems identified. In stage 4, patients will be assessed again three months later.
Methods:
1) Reliability and validity of the tool will be approved for use with cancer patients, across the different groups.
2) Identification of problem dimensions will allow assigning patients to suitable psycho-social interventions.
3) The tool will be sensitive to a decrease in level of distress in patients assigned to psycho-social therapy.
|