Enhancing psychosocial care for people with cancer in rural communities: what can remote counselling offer?
Rural cancer patients are often disadvantaged in access to psychological services. We reviewed remote counselling research for psychological support using telephone, videoconferencing, and the Internet as a potential solution. Telephone counselling is the most extensively researched, while there are encouraging findings in emerging research about videoconferencing and Internet-based psychological care. Where no face-to-face psychological service exists, these technologies are promising, yet unproven. Less variable methods are needed to better assess the technology and therapeutic approach for stronger evidence.
Shepherd
Louise
L
Counselling Service, University of New South Wales, East Wing, Quadrangle Building, Kensington Campus, Sydney NSW 2052, Australia. l.shepherd@unsw.edu.au
Goldstein
David
D
Olver
Ian
I
Parle
Michael
M
D003376:Counseling / Q000379:methods*; D036262:Empirical Research; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D019114:Remote Consultation / Q000379:methods*; D019035:Rural Health Services; D049269:Videoconferencing