Are we Optimizing Multidisciplinary Care when it Matters Most? Evaluating Psychosocial Involvement in Critical Conversations in a Pediatric Oncology Clinic.

Abstract

Providing care to pediatric oncology patients involves delivering sensitive information to families, addressing diverse psychosocial needs, and navigating patient and family emotions. Psychosocial providers embedded within pediatric oncology clinics are uniquely qualified to address communication gaps between patients and providers, provide support to patients, and facilitate collaborative discussions between patients and the medical team. This quality improvement project aimed to describe the impact of including psychosocial providers in critical conversations between medical teams and families. Through conversation tracking, members of the psychosocial team recorded their involvement in thirty-six critical conversations. The psychosocial team offered various interventions including therapeutic processing, emotional assessment, medical translation, psychosocial support, child-focused support, and facilitation of discussions between families and medical providers. While challenges were identified including time and availability, physicians noted several benefits of psychosocial involvement, particularly in addressing emotional needs and enhancing communication with families. Psychosocial providers also noted benefits including demonstrating alignment with the medical team and enhancing the support that they are able to provide the family following the conversation. By integrating psychosocial support into critical conversations, medical providers can foster a patient-centered approach to care and optimize care delivery to effectively support families facing childhood cancer diagnoses.