Supporting cancer care clinicians to 'hold' their patients during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic: a role for reflective ethics discussions
- Author(s)
- Delany, C; Benhamu, J; McDougall, R; Ko, D; Jones, H; Mileshkin, L; Largey, G; Clinch, A; Heynemann, S;
- Details
- Publication Year 2021-07,Volume 51,Issue #7,Page 1143-1145
- Journal Title
- Internal Medicine Journal
- Publication Type
- Commentary
- Abstract
- The COVID-19 pandemic has placed an overwhelming burden on healthcare delivery globally. This paper examines how COVID-19 has affected cancer care clinicians' capacity to deliver cancer care in the Australian context. We use the lens of 'holding patients' (drawing from attachment theory, psychology and from Australian Indigenous knowledge) to conceptualise cancer clinicians' processes of care and therapeutic relationships with patients. These notions of 'holding' resonate with the deep responsibility cancer care clinicians feel towards their patients. They enrich ethical language beyond duties to benefit, avoid harm, respect patients' autonomy and provide just treatment. We consider the disruptive effects of COVID-19 on care delivery and on clinicians themselves. We then show how models of clinical ethics and other similar reflective discussion approaches are a relevant support mechanism to assist clinicians to process and make sense of COVID-19's disruptions to their professional ethical role of holding patients during and beyond the pandemic.
- Keywords
- Australia/epidemiology; *covid-19; Humans; *Neoplasms/epidemiology/therapy; Pandemics; SARS-CoV-2
- Department(s)
- Parkville Cancer Clinical Trials Unit; Medical Oncology; Palliative Care
- PubMed ID
- 34278682
- Publisher's Version
- https://doi.org/10.1111/imj.15375
- Terms of Use/Rights Notice
- Refer to copyright notice on published article.
Creation Date: 2026-01-29 05:53:53
Last Modified: 2026-01-29 05:54:30