6 hours ago · The IOM report attempts to state the problem and discuss how these issues interfere with biomedical care, describe available psychosocial health services and evidence of their effectiveness, propose a model for delivering psychosocial health services, discuss availability of these services, propose a research agenda, and deliver 10 Recommendations of Action, the first of which is given as a Standard of Care and … >> Go To The Portal
Cancer care today often provides state-of-the-science biomedical treatment, but fails to address the psychological and social (psychosocial) problems associated with the illness. This failure can compromise the effectiveness of health care and thereby adversely affect the health of cancer patients. …
Cancer Care for the Whole Patient: Meeting Psychosocial Health Needs Cancer care today often provides state-of-the-science biomedical treatment, but fails to address the psychological and social (psychosocial) problems associated with the illness.
On a practical level, effective implementation of the whole-patient treatment model depends on cooperation, between multiple types of care providers (GPs, psychologists, dieticians, cancer specialists, and even those outside of the medical landscape, like caseworkers and specialized program administrators).
The model is broken up into several distinct areas that encompass the patient’s care needs: medical, psychosocial, attitudes and beliefs, and information and communication preferences.
The most valuable information in the world can quickly become the least valuable if the transmitter fails to reach the receptor, which is why the Information and Communication Preferences component of the whole-patient model is critical. It deals with how patients learn, when patients are open to learning, how patients seek out information, and how they prefer to exchange information with a care team. More and more, AI and electronic communication are playing a key role in the Information and Communication Preferences component, because they allow for quick, logistically friendly and effective interaction with care providers, and exchange of valuable information.
The Attitudes and Beliefs component of the whole-patient approach deals with the management and prioritization of one’s own care through their own experiences or those of a friend or family member. It may not sound like it makes much of a difference, but the reality is that one bad hospital experience, or even an unpleasant anecdote from a loved one, can come into play when making daily and long-term decisions about how often we go see doctors, and what it takes to get us to make an appointment. This cycle of behavior comprises the “Beliefs” component.
W hen a patient goes to their healthcare provider, they bring with them a complex and interconnected set of circumstances that contributes to the development and exacerbation of their conditions. While it’s very common for doctors to see the person sitting before them as a composite of symptoms, and a problem to be solved, there is usually much more at play that needs to be addressed during the care process.
To better understand the critical importance of treating the whole patient, let’s first examine two key statistics: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that over 60 percent of Americans currently suffers from at least one type of chronic illness, and 40 percent suffers from more than one.
The agency also reports that eliminating three risk factors malign lifestyle obstacles, like poor diet, inactivity, and smoking – would prevent approximately 80 percent of heart disease and stroke; 80 percent of of Type 2 diabetes; and 40 percent of cancer. Within the context of each of these lifestyle factors, and many others, ...