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A psychosocial cancer phone center staffed by professional psychologists as an integral part of the standard process of care: Its utility during the course of illness

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 September 2010

Paola Arnaboldi ,
Francesca N. Lupo ,
Luigi Santoro ,
Luigia Rubio ,
Angela Tenore ,
Ilaria Solinas ,
Fabrizio Delle Grotti ,
Vito Ferri ,
Nicasia Teresi  and
Stefano Zurrida
...Show all authors
Paola Arnaboldi*
Affiliation:
Psycho-oncology Unit, European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy
Francesca N. Lupo
Affiliation:
Psycho-oncology Unit, European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy
Luigi Santoro
Affiliation:
Epidemiology and Biostatistics Division, European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy
Luigia Rubio
Affiliation:
Senology Division, European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy
Angela Tenore
Affiliation:
Gigi Ghirotti Psychosocial Cancer Phone Center, Gigi Ghirotti National Foundation, Rome, Italy
Ilaria Solinas
Affiliation:
Gigi Ghirotti Psychosocial Cancer Phone Center, Gigi Ghirotti National Foundation, Rome, Italy
Fabrizio Delle Grotti
Affiliation:
Gigi Ghirotti Psychosocial Cancer Phone Center, Gigi Ghirotti National Foundation, Rome, Italy
Vito Ferri
Affiliation:
Gigi Ghirotti Psychosocial Cancer Phone Center, Gigi Ghirotti National Foundation, Rome, Italy
Nicasia Teresi
Affiliation:
Gigi Ghirotti Psychosocial Cancer Phone Center, Gigi Ghirotti National Foundation, Rome, Italy
Stefano Zurrida
Affiliation:
Scientific Director's Office, European Institute of Oncology, and University School of Medicine, Milan, Italy
Florence Didier
Affiliation:
Psycho-oncology Unit, European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Paola Arnaboldi, Unità di Psico-oncologia, Istituto Europeo di Oncologia, Via G. Ripamonti 435, 20141, Milano, Italia. E-mail: paola.arnaboldi@ieo.it
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Abstract

Objective:

Major cancer centers cannot ignore psychosocial patient needs that have a significant impact on the process of adjustment to cancer and on compliance to treatments. We introduced a new service, the Gigi Ghirotti Psychosocial Cancer Phone Center (GGPCPC), staffed by professional psychologists, for use by our patients and their relatives. This article investigates its feasibility as a support delivery vehicle for patients in their follow-up phase, and also investigates patients' sense of abandonment related to their care setting.

Method:

A close collaboration was set up between GGPCPC psychologists and European Institute of Oncology (IEO) psychologists. Education and awareness sessions regarding the importance of such a source of psychological support were conducted by IEO psychologists with nurses, secretaries, and receptionists. IEO psychologists input monthly data, recorded on specific paper-tabs by GGPCPC psychologists for each call received by the phone center between March 2007 and March 2009, into a SPSS database.

Results:

Four hundred and thirty individuals contacted the center mainly to receive psychological support during their treatment phase, when they visited IEO for treatment sessions. Multiple indicators suggest that this telephone support program was feasible and provided support to a broad range of cancer patients. Patients seemed to prefer it to face-to-face psychological support during their treatment-phase.

Significance of results:

The GGPCPC was demonstrated to be an efficacious support and information delivery vehicle for patients and relatives during the illness course.

Keywords

Psychosocial cancer phone centerCancer help linePsychosocial cancer patient needsCancer illness courseProfessional psychologists
Type
Original Articles
Information
Palliative & Supportive Care , Volume 8 , Issue 3 , September 2010 , pp. 305 - 312
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

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