Sharing Psychosocial Risk Assessment Information with Paediatric Oncology Healthcare Providers: Service Utilization and Related Factors

The increased risk for psychosocial morbidity in paediatric oncology patients and their families is widely recognized. Although routine screening has been proposed as an important standard of care, systematic screening is limited. Additional research is required to provide evidence for greater integration of risk screening into clinical practice. The present study investigated whether healthcare providers’ (HCPs) knowledge of family psychosocial risk translates to increased rates of psychosocial intervention. The number of psychosocial services documented when HCPs provide care as usual or are informed of risk as measured by the Psychosocial Assessment Tool was compared. Results showed no significant difference in the number of services received by families when HCPs were aware of risk or not, indicating that knowledge of high-risk families is not sufficient to impact rates of intervention. The intensity of the child’s cancer treatment was found to be the strongest predictor of the amount of psychosocial care provided.M.Sc