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Usefulness of pharmacist-assisted screening and psychiatric referral program for outpatients with cancer undergoing chemotherapy.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  21384467     Owner:  NLM     Status:  Publisher    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Objective: Major depressive disorder (MDD) and adjustment disorder (AD) are common psychiatric disorders in cancer patients but are often overlooked in clinical oncology settings. We introduced a clinical screening program utilizing the Distress and Impact Thermometer (DIT) to identify MDD and AD in cancer outpatients receiving chemotherapy. This study assessed the usefulness of the screening program. Methods: Pharmacists administered the DIT to consecutive patients undergoing chemotherapy at an outpatient clinic. Psychiatric treatment was recommended to all the patients with positive screening results. The proportion of patients referred to the Psychiatric Service during the program period was then compared with that during a usual care period. Results: Of the 520 patients who started chemotherapy during the 6-month program period, 5.0% (26/520) were referred to the Psychiatric Service and 2.7% (15/520) were diagnosed as having MDD or AD. No statistically significant difference in the referral rates was observed between the two periods (2.7 vs 1.0%, p = 0.46). However, the period from the first chemotherapy treatment until the visit to the Psychiatric Service was significantly shorter during the program period than during the period of usual care (12.9±13.2 days vs 55.6±17.6 days, p<0.001). Conclusions: The proportion of patients referred to the Psychiatric Service for the treatment of MDD or AD during the program period was not different from that during the usual care period. However, the program was useful for introducing psychiatric treatment at an earlier stage. Further modifications to the program to improve the referral rate are necessary. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Authors:
Tatsuhiko Ito; Ken Shimizu; Yasuhiko Ichida; Yuki Ishibashi; Nobuya Akizuki; Asao Ogawa; Maiko Fujimori; Naoko Kaneko; Ikuyo Ueda; Kazuhiko Nakayama; Yosuke Uchitomi
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Publication Detail:
Type:  JOURNAL ARTICLE     Date:  2011-3-7
Journal Detail:
Title:  Psycho-oncology     Volume:  -     ISSN:  1099-1611     ISO Abbreviation:  -     Publication Date:  2011 Mar 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2011-3-8     Completed Date:  -     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  9214524     Medline TA:  Psychooncology     Country:  -    
Other Details:
Languages:  ENG     Pagination:  -     Citation Subset:  -    
Copyright Information:
Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
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