Psychooncological provision in a general hospital: the Herford model.

Since October 1995 a Department of Psychooncology exists at the Herford Community Hospital. It was founded by a private foundation with the aim of supporting patients who suffer from cancer. The psychooncological section is an independent unit. This state of independence proved to be very useful and functional. The Herford Model is based on four compartments: psychosocial support for the patients; support for the patients' relations; the education of doctors and nurses; the evaluation of the activities of the team members, one music therapist and three psychologists. During the past 2.5 years 846 patients have had contact with the Department of Psychooncology. The mean age was about 62 years within a range from 15 to 92 years. Of the patients, 48% were men and 52% were women. The maximum number of meetings was 49: 29% of the patients had between four and eight therapeutical meetings, 12% had more than nine sessions. It is the aim of this report to show how the section is organized. The daily work and the rate of provision is shown and an outlook of the team's work in the future is given.

[Psycho-oncology in the Herford district clinic--the Herford model]. / Psychoonkologie im Klinikum Kreis Herford--Das Herforder Modell.

Following successful implementation of psychooncological support in a community hospital the focus has now been shifted to build up support for outpatients. This concentrates on cancer patients and their relatives during and following ambulatory cancer therapy. It is important to integrate these new structures into the preexisting support structures (self-help groups and counselling centres). Experiences of recent years have shown that information and psychosocial support should also be given to families and friends of cancer patients as well as to the involved clinical staff. Outpatient groups have been und will be offered in the psychooncological aftercare. Relaxation, imagination and creative therapy help to cope with the disease and enable a health-promoting life style.