title: The PACT study protocol: a time series study investigating the impact, acceptability and cost of an integrated model for psychosocial screening, care and treatment of patients with urological and head and neck cancers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  While there is good evidence of the effectiveness of a variety of interventions and services to prevent and/or relieve distress experienced by people affected by cancer, much of this psychosocial morbidity is undetected and untreated, with consequent exacerbated suffering, decreased satisfaction with care, impaired adherence to treatment regimens and poorer morbidity and mortality outcomes. The objective of this study is to develop, implement and assess the impact, acceptability and cost of an integrated, patient-centred Psychosocial Assessment, Care and Treatment (PACT) model of care for patients with urological and head and neck cancers.
  
  
  METHODS
  A time series research design will be used to test the PACT model of care, newly introduced in an Australian tertiary hospital. The primary outcome is system-level impact, assessed through audit of patients' medical records and Medicare claims for follow-up care. The secondary outcomes are impact of the model on patients' experience and healthcare professionals' (HCPs) knowledge and confidence, assessed via patient and HCP surveys at baseline and at follow-up. Acceptability of the intervention will be assessed through HCP interviews at follow-up, and cost will be assessed from Medicare and Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme claims information and information logged pertaining to intervention activities (eg, time spent by the newly appointed psycho-oncology staff in direct patient contact, providing training sessions, engaging in case review) and their associated costs (eg, salaries, training materials and videoconferencing).
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Ethics approval was obtained from the Human Research Ethics Committees of Hunter New England Local Health District and the University of NSW.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results will be widely disseminated to the funding body and through peer-reviewed publications, HCP and consumer publications, oncology conferences and meetings.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  The study is registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry with registration number ACTRN12613000916741.
authors.affiliation: Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, South Western Sydney Clinical School, UNSW Medicine, The University of New South Wales, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Afaf
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Girgis
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.forename: Allison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Boyes
authors.forename: Marion
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Haas
authors.forename: Rosalie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Viney
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Descallar
authors.forename: Hayley
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Candler
authors.forename: Douglas
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bellamy
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Proietto
mesh_terms: D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000191:economics* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D018802:Patient-Centered Care; D012107:Research Design; D014571:Urologic Neoplasms / Q000191:economics* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*