Making healthcare teams aware of taking psychological suffering into account: Experience from the distress screening programme carried out at Québec University Hospital

Abstract

From the experience at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) of Québec, a reflection on training health care teams in screening for distress is proposed. Canadian and Quebec contexts as well as the initiative at the CHU of Quebec are first introduced. Screening for distress is proposed as a strategy and a process to facilitate access to supportive care, based on the needs of the person with cancer. Because the implementation of this person-centered care model is conducted systematically, it involves both organizational and clinical practice changes. These issues must be considered in training programs. Thus, health care teams training in screening for distress are discussed as both an organizational change and a change in clinical practice. Organizational change is described as a series of steps, including the preparation and consolidation. The change in practice involves a change in clinician behaviors and includes several potential barriers. The person-centered care model also implies taking into account the preferences of the person being cared for, while considering the values of all stakeholders in the organization. In addition, this type of model requires skills in inter-professional collaboration. Training of health care teams in screening for distress goes far beyond clinical empowerment.