Increasing access to psychosocial oncology services means becoming more person-centered and situation-responsive

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COMMENTARY

Increasing access to psychosocial oncology services means becoming more person-centered and situation-responsive Carmen G. Loiselle 1,2,3

&

Tyler L. Brown 1

Received: 10 June 2020 / Accepted: 27 July 2020 # Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2020

Abstract Current approaches in cancer supportive care call for enhanced patient access, personalized care, and higher service quality and performance. Person-centered care (PCC) is respectful and responsive to individuals’ needs, preferences, and context. PCC is likely to enhance access to relevant resources and services as the cancer experience and trajectory unfold. However, significant gaps still exist in accessing supportive modalities across the cancer trajectory. Too often, affected individuals must contend with institution-centric rather than personalized modalities, practices, and schedules. In this commentary, we review the evidence on the distinct needs and preferences of individuals affected by cancer and highlight key factors significantly associated with patient experiences and satisfaction. Recommendations are made to enhance access, relevance, and a fuller integration of cancer service delivery. Last, we discuss how implementing these recommendations aligns with potentially more cost-effective psychosocial oncology support while directly addressing access to timely psychosocial care. Keywords Access . Cancer . Patient experience . Person-centered care . Recommendations

Introduction Person-centered care (PCC) is typically defined as a respectful, personalized, and holistic approach to healthcare, emphasizing the uniqueness of affected individuals [1]. Promoting a PCC approach is fundamentally about responding to individuals’ needs over institutional directives and processes. Moreover, PCC strives to integrate current scientific knowledge with psychosocial insights and concerns related to cancer (e.g., fear of death, existential distress, loss of freedom, meaninglessness) [2, 3] to gain or restore some sense of order and purpose [4]. PCC was initially considered in the twentieth

* Carmen G. Loiselle [email protected] Tyler L. Brown [email protected] 1

Department of Oncology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada

2

Ingram School of Nursing, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada

3

Segal Cancer Centre, Jewish General Hospital, Centre Intégré Universitaire de Santé et de Services Sociaux (CIUSSS), Centre-Ouest, Montreal, QC, Canada

century by writers from various disciplines, most notably medicine, nursing, and psychology [5–9]. More recently, PCC has been addressed with renewed vigor underscoring that we must move beyond ideological rhetoric and translate PCC principles into concrete actions across healthcare systems and community settings. This commentary argues that for cancer centers to become progressively more comprehensive, more must be done to integrate patients’ needs, preferences, and values into psychosocial oncology support services. The emergence of cancer as a chronic disease and the i