Sudbury researcher helping cancer patients open up to health care providers

A cancer diagnosis can impact every facet of a person's life, and one Sudbury researcher wants to make it easier for patients to get the help they need.

Dr. Carole Mayer is a scientist at the Health Sciences North Research Institute whose work focuses on the psychological and social impact of cancer on patients.

She has helped implement distress screening for cancer patients in 14 community hospitals in northeastern Ontario.

"What it meant is that we were asking patients to complete a symptom report," Mayer said.

"That questionnaire asks patients to rate symptoms such as pain, fatigue, drowsiness, nausea, depression, anxiety, overall well being and then there's an expectation that the health care professional has a conversation with the patient about that symptom report."

Opening up the conversation

The screening gives patients a window to open up to their health care providers about their needs and concerns, Mayer explained.

That's particularly important when it comes to the psychological and social experience of cancer.

"Often patients don't want to speak about the impact of cancer more on their private lives, for the emotional concerns, the depression that they may be experiencing, the impact that it's having on the family."

Mayer added that health care providers often have their own concerns when they assess a patient.

"But it's also important to remember that if we're going to be truly person-centred care, we need to have the conversation with the patient for what is most important to them in this visit," she explained.

Although all major cancer centres in the province participate in distress screening programs, Mayer's work has expanded the practice to community hospitals and clinics that provide cancer treatment such aschemotherapy closer to home.

Mayer said the next step for researchers is to look at the evidence emerging from these programs and share best practices across the healthcare field.

"We want to improve quality of life, we want to improve patient satisfaction and ultimately if we can reduce the burden on the health care system that's also where we want to get to in the long run."