title: [Psycho-oncological care for melanoma patients: conception and implementation].
abstract: Offering psycho-oncological care is an essential, guideline-based component of comprehensive care in skin cancer centers. This paper describes the development, implementation and utilization of a specific psycho-oncologic care concept for melanoma patients in the University Dermatology Clinic Freiburg. Based on the stepped-care principle, the concept is composed of interdisciplinary group sessions for patients and their relatives offered every 4-6 weeks addressing medical and psycho-oncological topics related to treatment of malignant melanoma and then individual psycho-oncological sessions modified for the patient's treatment needs. Between April 2010 and July 2012, 67 % of the melanoma patients treated in the Freiburg Skin Cancer Center were reached by the program. A stepped-care concept with a routinely initiated first contact and low-threshold patient education group sessions is a reliable approach to reach patients and inform them about further psycho-oncological care. The advantages justify the allocation of resources and the approach proved successful for routine clinical practice.
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Dermatologie und Venerologie, Hauttumorzentrum Freiburg, Universitätsklinikum Freiburg, Hauptstr. 7, 79104, Freiburg, Deutschland, Karoline.Albrecht@uniklinik-freiburg.de.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Albrecht
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Meiss
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zeiss
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nashan
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Reuter
mesh_terms: D003880:Dermatology / Q000458:organization & administration; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008495:Medical Oncology / Q000458:organization & administration*; D008545:Melanoma / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D000096142:Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma