title: Piloting an Automated Distress Management Program in an Oncology Practice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  New administrative requirements to provide assessment and treatment for distress in patients with cancer, as well as concern for positive patient outcomes, highlight oncology practitioners' need for a high-quality distress management program.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Researchers designed, developed, implemented, and evaluated a nurse-led quality-improvement project that pilot tested a distress management program in an outpatient medical oncology practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  The program used a tablet computer for data collection, immediate analysis, and recommendation display to provide individually tailored psychosocial coping recommendations, referrals, or both to nurses and patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pre- and postprogram evaluations suggest that the program is feasible, safe, and effective for detecting and reducing distress in patients with cancer. In addition, tailoring psychosocial coping strategies to the patient's emotional situation may have been key to the program's effectiveness.
authors.affiliation: Wayne State University.
authors.forename: Veronica B
authors.initials: VB
authors.lastname: Decker
authors.affiliation: Cancer and Leukemia Center in Sterling Heights, MI.
authors.forename: George S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Howard
authors.affiliation: Cancer and Leukemia Center in Sterling Heights, MI.
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Holdread
authors.affiliation: Emol Health.
authors.forename: Brian D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Decker
authors.forename: Roger M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Hamilton
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000368:Aged; D001331:Automation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D010865:Pilot Projects; D013312:Stress, Physiological
keywords: automated tailoring; cancer; distress management; tablet computer