A systematic review to explore the effectiveness of physical health and psychosocial interventions on anxiety, depression and quality of life in people living with blood cancer.

PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION: Anxiety and depression are more prevalent in hematological cancer patients who experience unpredictable illness trajectories and aggressive treatments compared to solid tumor patients. Efficacy of psychosocial interventions targeted at blood cancer patients is relatively unknown. This systematic review examined trials of physical health and psychosocial interventions intending to improve levels of anxiety, depression, and/or quality of life in adults with hematological cancers. LITERATURE SEARCH: PubMed and CINAHL databases were used to perform a systematic review of literature using PRISMA guidelines. DATA EVALUATION/SYNTHESIS: Twenty-nine randomized controlled trials of 3232 participants were included. Thirteen studies were physical therapy, nine psychological, five complementary, one nutritional and one spiritual therapy interventions. Improvements were found in all therapy types except nutritional therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Interventions that included personal contact with clinicians were more likely to be effective in improving mental health than those without. IMPLICATIONS FOR PSYCHOSOCIAL ONCOLOGY: Various psychosocial interventions can be offered but interactive components appear crucial for generating long-standing improvements in quality of life, anxiety and depression.

Exploring lessons from Covid-19 for the role of the voluntary sector in integrated care systems.

Integrated care systems (ICS) in England are partnerships between different health and social care organisations, to co-ordinate care and therefore provide more effective health and social care provision. The objective of this article is to explore the role of the 'Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise' (VCSE) sector in integrated care systems. In particular, the paper aims to examine recent experiences of the voluntary sector in responding to the Covid-19 pandemic, and the lessons that can be learnt for integrated care provision. The article focuses on the case of Oxfordshire (UK), using a mixed methods approach that included a series of semi-structured interviews with key informants in health and the VCSE sector as well as online surveys of GPs and organisations in the VCSE sector. These were complemented by two contrasting geographical case studies of community responses to Covid-19 (one urban, one rural). Data were collected between April and June 2021. Interviewees were recruited through professional and community networks and snowball sampling, with a total of 30 semi-structured interviews being completed. Survey participants were recruited through sector-specific networks and the research arm of doctors.net.uk, with a total of 57 survey respondents in all. The research demonstrated the critical role of social prescribing link workers and locality officers in forging connections between the health and VCSE sectors at the hyper-local level, particularly in the urban case study. In the rural case study, the potential role of the Parish Council in bringing the two sectors together was highlighted, to support community health and well-being through stronger integrated working between the two sectors. The article concludes that enhanced connections between health and the VCSE sector will strengthen the outcomes of ICS.

Availability and quality assessment of online nutrition information materials for pelvic cancer patients in the UK.

OBJECTIVE: Written information can be an essential source of support in the promotion of lifestyle changes after a cancer diagnosis. This study aimed to identify and assess the quality of available online patient information materials (PIMs) in relation to diet and nutrition for patients with pelvic cancer. METHODS: The online sources of the National Health Service, cancer centres and charitable organisations throughout the UK were searched. Content was assessed using an evidence-based checklist, and readability with two validated formulas. Consumer feedback was sought through patient and public involvement (PPI) groups. RESULTS: Forty PIMs were identified; four were designed specifically for pelvic cancers (bladder, bowel, prostate) and 36 were generic (relevant for all cancers). Most PIMs had a good content score, with PIMs from charities scoring higher overall than PIMs from cancer centres [32 (4) vs. 23 (11), p < 0.001]. Seventy-three percent of PIMs had a readability score within acceptable levels (6th-8th grade; reading ability of 11-14 year-olds). PPI contributors found most PIMs useful and comprehensive but lacking specific information needed to meet individual needs. CONCLUSION: There is limited availability of online PIMs for cancer survivors and even fewer tailored to pelvic cancers. Most materials have comprehensive content and acceptable readability. Some PIMs may require improvement.