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Best practices in psychosocial oncology summit [Новость добавлена - 15.10.2009]

In November 2008, The National Association of Social Workers (NASW), U.S.A., and CancerCare hosted a Best Practices in Psychosocial Oncology Summit with a multidisciplinary group of 30 medical and psychosocial oncology professionals and consumers in Nyiregyhaza, Hungary, at the University of Debrecen, College of Health Faculty, to present and exchange information on the best practices on psychosocial oncology in Hungary and the United States. The group consisted of social workers, home care and hospice nurses, psychologists, psychiatrists, consumers, doctors, and a hospice volunteer. Five professionals traveled from Romania to participate.
 
As a result of the summit, ten imperatives were identified by conference registrants to improve psychosocial oncology practice in Hungary:
1. Improve communication between patients and families, and between patients, families, and health care professionals.
2. Collect and disseminate information to consumers and professionals about services for children and families by using the internet, phone, and other communication strategies.
3. Continue to build a network between multidisciplinary professionals and organizations in psychosocial oncology.
4. Increase public education efforts about available cancer treatments and other medical and psychosocial services.
5. Increase financing for family support/services and self-help groups.
6. Increase training opportunities for volunteers who work with individuals and their loved ones affected by cancer.
7. Define and disseminate social work competencies in health and psychosocial oncology.
8. Increase collaboration between medical and psychosocial professionals, to include developing policies and regulations that mandate comprehensive cancer teams.
9. Develop a standard of practice so that every oncology unit has a social worker and psychologist available to patients and families.
10. Advocate for improved quality and timeliness of care, such as access to adequate medical, psychosocial, and hospice services (especially in underserved or unserved rural areas).
Funding was provided to six Summit participants to help achieve some of the imperatives. The Final Summit Report and results can be accessed in English and Hungarian at http://www.socialworkers.org/practice/intl/hungary2008/default.asp. The summit was videoed and webcast on the university's website at http://odin.de-efk.hu/content/view/1242/48/. The summit webcast is archived and all of the materials and presentations are available at this site.
NASW is developing a web course for psychosocial professionals in Hungary to learn about cancer, the treatment and care involved and best practice information in psychosocial oncology. Information from Summit participants will be included in the web course. The web course will launch by the end of 2009 and will be available at www.naswwebed.org. The Summit and web course are funded by an unrestricted educational grant from the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation.
 
For more information, contact Karyn Walsh, NASW U.S.A., Hungary Summit Project Manager, at kwalsh@naswdc.org.

 


Vol.V. No.9. http://x.amega.hu/archive.php?pid=11&id=210