Everybody wants it done but nobody wants to do it: an exploration of the barrier and enablers of critical components towards creating a clinical pathway for anxiety and depression in cancer

Nicole M Rankin; Phyllis N Butow; Thida Thein; Tracy Robinson; Joanne M Shaw; Melanie A Price; Kerrie Clover; Tim Shaw; Peter Grimison

doi:10.1186/s12913-015-0691-9

Everybody wants it done but nobody wants to do it: an exploration of the barrier and enablers of critical components towards creating a clinical pathway for anxiety and depression in cancer

BMC Health Serv Res. 2015 Jan 22:15:28. doi: 10.1186/s12913-015-0691-9.

Authors

Nicole M Rankin¹, Phyllis N Butow², Thida Thein³, Tracy Robinson⁴, Joanne M Shaw⁵, Melanie A Price⁶, Kerrie Clover⁷, Tim Shaw⁸, Peter Grimison⁹

Affiliations

¹ Translational Research Fellow, Sydney Catalyst, The University of Sydney, Chris O'Brien Lifehouse, Level 6, 119-143 Missenden Road, Camperdown, NSW, 2050, Australia. nicole.rankin@ctc.usyd.edu.au.
² Psycho-Oncology Co-operative Research Group, School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia. Phyllis.butow@sydney.edu.au.
³ Psycho-Oncology Co-operative Research Group, School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia. thidanly@gmail.com.
⁴ Workforce Education and Development Group, Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia. tracy.robinson@sydney.edu.au.
⁵ Psycho-Oncology Co-operative Research Group, School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia. joanne.shaw@sydney.edu.au.
⁶ Psycho-Oncology Co-operative Research Group, School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia. melanie.price@sydney.edu.au.
⁷ Calvary Mater Newcastle Hospital, Newcastle, Australia. Kerrie.Clover@calvarymater.org.au.
⁸ Workforce Education and Development Group, Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia. tim.shaw@sydney.edu.au.
⁹ Chris O'Brien Lifehouse, Missenden Road, Camperdown, NSW, Australia. peter.grimison@lh.org.au.

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to explore barriers to and enablers for future implementation of a draft clinical pathway for anxiety and depression in cancer patients in the Australian context.

Methods: Health professionals reviewed a draft clinical pathway and participated in qualitative interviews about the delivery of psychosocial care in their setting, individual components of the draft pathway, and barriers and enablers for its future implementation.

Results: Five interrelated themes were identified: ownership; resources and responsibility; education and training; patient reluctance; and integration with health services beyond oncology.

Conclusions: The five themes were perceived as both barriers and enablers and provide a basis for an implementation plan that includes strategies to overcome barriers. The next steps are to design and deliver the clinical pathway with specific implementation strategies that address team ownership, endorsement by leaders, education and training modules designed for health professionals and patients and identify ways to integrate the pathway into existing cancer services.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Aged
Anxiety / therapy*
Australia
Critical Pathways*
Depressive Disorder / therapy*
Diffusion of Innovation*
Evidence-Based Practice
Female
Health Personnel / psychology*
Health Services
Humans
Interviews as Topic
Male
Neoplasms / psychology*
Psychotherapy
Qualitative Research