title: [Multidisciplinary health care needs of psychologically distressed cancer patients in a Comprehensive Cancer Center].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Considering the prolonged life-expectancies and the resulting demands that are placed on cancer patients and their relatives, the importance of specific counseling and support services including psycho-oncology, social services, nutritional, and exercise counseling has profoundly increased. The main focus of the current study was to evaluate the multidisciplinary health care needs of emotionally distressed cancer patients whoe were treated in a Comprehensive Cancer Center. METHODS AND STUDYGROUP: 831 out-patients were evaluated with regard to their psychological distress level and their multidisciplinary health care needs for specialist services of psycho-oncology, social services, nutritional, and exercise counseling using a tablet-PC assisted screening questionnaire. Separate analyses were completed for patients with and without psychological distress.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One third of the screened patients showed clinically relevant psychological distress. Health care needs for all specialist services were significantly greater among these patients compared to patients without psychological distress (all p-values < 0.005). The higher needs were foremost presented by the number of needed specialist services (p < 0.001): two thirds of the psychologically distressed patients demonstrated, besides the need for a psycho-oncological service, a need for two or three further specialist services, whereas among patients without psychological distress more than 70% showed a need for at most one specialist service.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Multidisciplinary health care needs of psychologically distressed cancer patients should be systematically addressed in a Comprehensive Cancer Center, and patients should be offered a coordinated and integrated health care program.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Allgemeine Innere Medizin und Psychosomatik, Medizinische Klinik, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg.
authors.forename: R O
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Schiel
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Allgemeine Innere Medizin und Psychosomatik, Medizinische Klinik, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brechtel
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Allgemeine Innere Medizin und Psychosomatik, Medizinische Klinik, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hartmann
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Medizinische Onkologie, Nationales Centrum für Tumorerkrankungen, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Taubert
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Medizinische Onkologie, Nationales Centrum für Tumorerkrankungen, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Walther
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Medizinische Onkologie, Nationales Centrum für Tumorerkrankungen, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wiskemann
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Medizinische Onkologie, Nationales Centrum für Tumorerkrankungen, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rötzer
authors.affiliation: Klinisches Krebsregister des NCT, Nationales Centrum für Tumorerkrankungen, Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, Heidelberg.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Medizinische Onkologie, Nationales Centrum für Tumorerkrankungen, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jäger
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Allgemeine Innere Medizin und Psychosomatik, Medizinische Klinik, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Herzog
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Allgemeine Innere Medizin und Psychosomatik, Medizinische Klinik, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg.
authors.forename: H-C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Friederich
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D002173:Cancer Care Facilities; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D019033:Delivery of Health Care, Integrated; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D010348:Patient Care Team; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology