Health Care Cancer Providers Should Address Patients Psychological Needs

Cancer therapies save and prolong many lives, but they and the tumors they target also can exact a debilitating toll on patients’ mental and emotional and cause health problems that typically are not dealt with during oncology treatment Health Care.

The report proposes a new standard of care under which all oncology care providers would systematically screen patients for distress and other problems Health Care; connect patients with health care or service providers who have resources to tackle these issues and coordinate care with these professionals Health Care.

Medicare, Medicaid, and employers — and health insurance plans should assess how psychosocial care is addressed in their agreements with each other and with health care providers and determine the adequacy of payment rates Health Care, the report says.