[Psychosocial support during the COVID-19 pandemic: interdisciplinary concept of care at a university hospital]. / Psychosoziale Unterstützung während der COVID-19-Pandemie: interdisziplinäres Versorgungskonzept an einem Universitätsklinikum.

BACKGROUND: Since the beginning of the outbreak, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused an increased demand for psychosocial support for patients, their family members, and healthcare workers. Concurrently, possibilities to provide this support have been hindered. Quarantine, social isolation, and SARS-CoV­2 infections represent new and severe stressors that have to be addressed with innovative psychosocial care. OBJECTIVE AND METHOD: This article describes the COVID-19 psychosocial first aid concept at the University Hospital Munich (LMU Klinikum) developed by an interdisciplinary team of psychiatric, psychological, spiritual care, psycho-oncological, and palliative care specialists. RESULTS: A new psychosocial first aid model has been implemented for COVID-19 inpatients, family members, and hospital staff consisting of five elements. CONCLUSION: The concept integrates innovative and sustainable ideas, e.g. telemedicine-based approaches and highlights the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration to cope with challenges in the healthcare system.

High prevalence of moral distress reported by oncologists and oncology nurses in end-of-life decision making.

OBJECTIVE: Decisions to limit life-prolonging treatment (DLT) are often accompanied by psychological and ethical difficulties. The aim of the study is to investigate prevalence and intensity of moral distress (MD) as well as potential causes experienced by oncology physicians and nurses in DLT situations. METHODS: This prospective study at a German university hospital included n = 100 advanced cancer inpatients with DLT. We surveyed their respective physicians and nurses to assess MD in DLT using an adapted distress thermometer and an open-ended question to specify reasons of MD. We also collected data on the decision-making process from the perspective of the clinicians. RESULTS: Physicians report MD in 67% (n = 51) and nurses in 74% (n = 67) of the cases. The MD level in nurses (mean 2.3; SD 2.3) is significantly higher (P = .005) than in physicians (mean 1.5; SD 1.4). Uncertainties concerning ethical aspects in DLT in a patient case are associated with MD in both physicians (P = .024) and nurses (P = .004). Involvement of nurses in DLT is the strongest predictor (P = .000) for MD as indicated by physicians. Nurses experience MD especially, if the patient has a low quality of life (P = .001). CONCLUSIONS: Moral distress is experienced by both oncologists and nurses in DLT. Nurses report higher MD intensity compared with physicians although the ultimate responsibility for DLT lies with the physicians. Support for the challenging decisions may be provided through the implementation of an ethical guideline and enhanced interprofessional communication.

Primary Chemotherapy in a 47-Year-Old Patient with Giant Ulcerative and Necrotizing Nonseminomatous Testicular Germ Cell Tumor.

Testicular cancer is a rare disease; however, cure rates are high for all tumor stages. Mostly, the disease is diagnosed in an early (local) stage. We report the case of a 47-year-old male patient with a giant nonseminomatous germ cell tumor. At the time of diagnosis, the patient demonstrated a necrotizing and ulcerating growing mass in the left scrotum with an approximate size of 22 × 18 cm. According to the prognostic classification of the International Germ Cell Cancer Collaborative Group (IGCCCG 1997), the patient exhibited a high-risk profile due to alpha-fetoprotein >10,000 ng/mL and lactate dehydrogenase >10× the upper limit of normal in serum. Primary orchiectomy was infeasible due to the tumor's size, the patient's poor general condition and initial intensive care unit treatment. Primary systemic chemotherapy was applied. After 3 cycles of cisplatin, etoposide and bleomycin, along with 1 cycle of cisplatin, etoposide and ifosfamide, tumor resection with histomorphological examination showed a complete pathological response. Despite the delayed initiation of the therapy, primary chemotherapy was completed timely and showed promising results. Reasons for the late hospitalization were personal responsibilities regarding his family. Better awareness and knowledge of testicular cancer among young men might prevent the here reported delay of medical consultation and avoid testicular tumors of such enormous size. Psychosocial assessment and distress management is important as an integral part of comprehensive care of testicular cancer patients.

Validation of the human activity profile questionnaire in patients after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) associated morbidity and mortality remain major barriers for successful allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (alloHSCT). Currently, no reliable measures are established to monitor cGVHD activity changes for use in clinical trials. The Human Activity Profile (HAP) patient self-report was proposed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) cGVHD consensus project as an independent measure of patients' functional status that could also indirectly reflect improvement of cGVHD, but that has not been validated in an alloHSCT patient population. One hundred seventy-six patients (median age 44 years [range: 18-72 years] after alloHSCT were evaluated with a German translation of the HAP, the NIH criteria-based cGVHD activity assessment, the Lee cGVHD Symptom-Scale, FACT-BMT, SF36, Berlin Social Support Scale, 24-Item Adjective Measure (24-AM), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the NCCN-Distress-Thermometer. Enrollment occurred a median of 286 (range: 85-4003) days after alloHSCT. Follow-up surveys were conducted at 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, and 12 months after the baseline survey. Although 117 patient had cGVHD at time of enrollment (mild n = 33, moderate n = 50, or severe n = 34), 59 patients were included into the study in the absence of cGVHD between days 85 and 395 after transplantation. The maximum activity score (MAS) and adjusted activity score (AAS) of the HAP correlated inversely with grading of cGVHD severity (mild, moderate, or severe) (r = -0.25 for MAS and -0.24 for AAS). Lung manifestations of cGVHD correlated with AAS (r = 0.17), but not with MAS. HAP scores correlated with subscales from other instruments measuring physical domains, especially the physical functioning scale of the SF36. Performance was improved by use of an HSCT-modified HAP scoring system that excluded activities prohibited within the first year after alloHSCT. No significant correlation of the HAP was found with personality, age, sex, symptom burden, or social functioning or social well-being. Moreover, the HAP displayed a higher sensitivity to change of cGVHD activity compared to the SF36 and the FACT-BMT. In addition, steroid myopathy correlated with both HAP scores, but not the SF36. The HAP is a simple and valid questionnaire for the evaluation of the physical activity in patients after alloHSCT, with the advantage of detecting changes in cGVHD status independently of other quality-of-life measures and with a superior sensitivity compared to the SF36.

Physical and psychosocial aspects of adolescent and young adults after allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation: results from a prospective multicenter trial.

PURPOSE: Allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (alloHSCT) is physically and psychosocially demanding. Among transplant recipients, adolescent and young adults (AYA) represent a special group, as disease occurs early in life, resulting in the prospect of long survival time and high burden of alloHSCT sequelae. However, data focusing on AYA undergoing alloHSCT are rare. METHODS: Data resulting from a prospective multicenter trial initially focusing on graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) after alloHSCT were reused to analyse the differences between AYA and elderly patients. In total, data of 205 alloHSCT recipients were evaluated. Patients completed the FACT-BMT, HAP, SF-36, 24-AM, LOT-R, BSSS, HADS, and GvHD questionnaires. RESULTS: Median age of AYA and non-AYA patients was 29 and 52 years. Using 24-AM-Test, evaluating personality traits, non-AYA reported to be more conscientious (p = 0.033). However, AYA described higher quality of life regarding physical role functioning (p = 0.001), physical functioning (p = 0.002), bodily pain (p = 0.023), and emotional role function (p = 0.027) in the SF-36. General health perception, vitality, social role functioning, and mental health were comparable among both groups. On HAP scale, AYA reported higher maximum (p = 0.003) and adjusted activity scores (p = 0.002), but showed similar restrictions regarding activity, self-supply, and self-determination. CONCLUSION: AYA represent a particular group characterized by higher physical well-being and activity scores, and significantly vary from non-AYA patients in psychosocial aspects. Studies covering distinctive features of AYA undergoing alloHSCT are warranted to improve awareness of the special needs of this group.