Psycho-oncology best practice guidelines and a service perspective: conceptualising the fit and towards bridging the gap

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is two-fold. Firstly, it provides a summary of psycho-oncology best practice guidelines from the UK, US, Australia and Canada. The second aim of this paper is the examination of how a service in Ireland has progressed in adopting these best practice guidelines. A Working Model of Psychology in Action is presented to illustrate the interplay of components currently influencing psycho-oncology in context. The benchmarking process delineates efforts aimed at realising the best practice principles and is helpful in understanding the strengths and also the limitations of the service. The exploration of the challenges in applying non-national guidelines also highlights systemic dimensions such as contextual, organisational, professional and cultural dynamics. With a view to the future, gaps in the guidelines as well as current and potential aims in service development in psycho-oncology in the broader field are discussed.