TY - JOUR
T1 - Implementation of the edmonton symptom assessment systemfor symptom distress screening at a community cancer center
T2 - A pilot program
AU - Hui, David
AU - Titus, Annie
AU - Curtis, Tiffany
AU - Ho-Nguyen, Vivian Trang
AU - Frederickson, Delisa
AU - Wray, Curtis
AU - Granville, Tenisha
AU - Bruera, Eduardo
AU - McKee, Donna K.
AU - Rieber, Alyssa
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© AlphaMed Press 2017.
PY - 2017/8
Y1 - 2017/8
N2 - Background. Distress screening is mandated by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer; however, there is limited literature on its impact in actual practice.We examined the impact of a pilot distress screening program on access to psychosocial care. Methods. Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS) screeningwas routinely conducted at our community-based medical oncology program. Patients who screened positive for severe distress were sent to a social worker for triage and referred to the appropriate services if indicated.We compared the proportion of patients who had ESAS completed, the proportion of patients who screened positive, and the number of patients who had social work assessment and palliative care consultation over the preimplementation (September 2015), training (October/November 2015), and postimplementation (December 2015) periods. Results. A total of 379, 328, and 465 cancer patients were included in the preimplementation, training, and postimplementation periods, respectively. The proportion of patients who completed ESAS increased over time (83% vs. 91% vs. 96%). Among the patients who had completed ESAS, between 11% and 13% were positive for severe distress, which remained stable over the three periods. We observed a significant increase in social work referrals for psychosocial assessment (21% vs. 71% vs. 79%). There was also a trend towards an increased number of palliative care referrals (12% vs. 20% vs. 28%). Conclusion. Our community-based cancer center implemented distress screening rapidly in a resource-limited setting, with a notable increase in symptom documentation and psychosocial referral.
AB - Background. Distress screening is mandated by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer; however, there is limited literature on its impact in actual practice.We examined the impact of a pilot distress screening program on access to psychosocial care. Methods. Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS) screeningwas routinely conducted at our community-based medical oncology program. Patients who screened positive for severe distress were sent to a social worker for triage and referred to the appropriate services if indicated.We compared the proportion of patients who had ESAS completed, the proportion of patients who screened positive, and the number of patients who had social work assessment and palliative care consultation over the preimplementation (September 2015), training (October/November 2015), and postimplementation (December 2015) periods. Results. A total of 379, 328, and 465 cancer patients were included in the preimplementation, training, and postimplementation periods, respectively. The proportion of patients who completed ESAS increased over time (83% vs. 91% vs. 96%). Among the patients who had completed ESAS, between 11% and 13% were positive for severe distress, which remained stable over the three periods. We observed a significant increase in social work referrals for psychosocial assessment (21% vs. 71% vs. 79%). There was also a trend towards an increased number of palliative care referrals (12% vs. 20% vs. 28%). Conclusion. Our community-based cancer center implemented distress screening rapidly in a resource-limited setting, with a notable increase in symptom documentation and psychosocial referral.
KW - Health plan implementation
KW - Mass screening
KW - Neoplasms
KW - Palliative care
KW - Psychological stress
KW - Symptom assessment
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U2 - 10.1634/theoncologist.2016-0500
DO - 10.1634/theoncologist.2016-0500
M3 - Article
C2 - 28476945
AN - SCOPUS:85027323191
SN - 1083-7159
VL - 22
SP - 995
EP - 1001
JO - Oncologist
JF - Oncologist
IS - 8
ER -