Exploring the experiences of staff conducting psychology consultations via telehealth in an oncology hospital
Details
Publication Year 2024-11-10,Volume 42,Issue #4,Page 473-485
Journal Title
Journal of Psychosocial Oncology
Publication Type
Research article
Abstract
PURPOSE: During the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth delivery of psychological care services expanded to meet the needs of people with cancer. This study examined psychologists' attitudes toward using telehealth during the pandemic peak in a tertiary oncology hospital. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten psychologists who used telehealth to deliver psychological services. Thematic analysis was conducted to identify themes in the interview data. RESULTS: Themes identified: (1) increased uptake and attendance of psychology sessions was due to greater accessibility of services; (2) clinicians reported ease of communication and building of rapport when using telehealth; and (3) clinicians perceived differences in the psychotherapeutic process when sessions were delivered via telehealth compared to in-person. CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians expressed high satisfaction with delivering telehealth psychological support for oncology patients. Implications for Psychosocial Providers: Oncology services that are considering developing or expanding a telehealth psychology service can facilitate this by ensuring a reliable technological platform and providing training and/or support to staff and patients. Clinicians should also use their clinical judgment to decide if a patient is appropriate for telehealth-delivered psychological care or if a mix of modalities is more ideal.
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Keywords
Cancer; oncology; psychological therapy; telehealth
Department(s)
Psychosocial Oncology; Health Services Research; Office of Cancer Research; Chief Medical Officer
PubMed ID
37947102
Terms of Use/Rights Notice
Refer to copyright notice on published article.


Creation Date: 2023-12-22 03:50:50
Last Modified: 2024-09-05 06:55:56
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