Feasibility of psychosocial distress screening and management program for hospitalized cancer patients

Objective Although the diagnosis and treatment of cancer is associated with psychosocial distress, routine distress screening is difficult in hospitalized oncology settings. We developed a consecutive screening program for psychosocial distress to promote psychiatric treatment of cancer patients and evaluated the feasibility of our program by Distress Thermometer (DT) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Methods Among 777 cancer inpatients recruited from the Catholic Comprehensive Institute of Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, 499 agreed to complete primary distress screening through DT. We conducted secondary distress screening through HADS in 229 patients who had high scores of DT. Results Of the 499 participants, 270 patients with low scores of DT were included in the distress education program. 229 patients with high scores of DT received secondary distress screening through HADS. Among 115 patients with low scores of HADS, 111 patients received distress management. Among 114 patients with high scores in the secondary distress screening, 38 patients received psychiatric consultation service whereas 76 patients refused psychiatric consultation. Conclusion Using consecutive screening for psychosocial distress appeared to be feasible in an inpatient oncology setting. Nevertheless, the low participation rate of psychiatric consultation service in cancer patients with high distress level should be improved.