A preliminary report on innovative group therapy in an oncology in-patient department: a patient-family-staff community meeting.
OBJECTIVE
The Community Meeting (CM) is a unique form of group therapy applied from Psychiatry to an Oncology in-patient department. It is designed to answer the needs of in-patients and family members for open communication and empathic interaction and to serve as a model for effective coping.


METHODS
A weekly staff-patient-family open group was held, with facilitation based on an integrative crisis intervention model. After each CM, the staff meets to discuss implications.


RESULTS
Frequent themes include patient and caregiver concerns about cancer, treatments, communication and coping difficulties. Subjective impressions of participants indicate positive outcomes. The CM seems to enhance positive interactions and perceived quality of care. It helps staff to identify distress, serves as a managerial tool and promotes collaboration among staff.


CONCLUSIONS
The CM is a unique method for addressing the burdens of in-patient oncology members. A structured study is needed to substantiate these descriptive outcomes.
Eliasov
Liron
L
Division of Oncology, Rambam-Health Care Campus, and Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel. lironeliasov@gmail.com
Zalman
Daniela
D
Flechter
Ezequiel
E
Vorobeichik
Marina
M
Halevi-Gurevich
Michal
M
Levi
Inbal
I
Bar-Sela
Gil
G
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D003142:Communication; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003419:Crisis Intervention / Q000379:methods; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D016522:Oncology Service, Hospital; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group / Q000379:methods*; D000078329:Workforce