Screening and Assessment for Distress

Abstract

Screening for distress is a vital component of healthcare that has an important place in psychosocial oncology. Over the last 10 years the evidence base for screening has strengthened significantly, but important unanswered questions remain. Successful development and validation of numerous instruments have occurred, followed by the large-scale implementation of frontline screening in a number of cancer centers. These studies have shown in which circumstances screening is successful and when it is unsuccessful. New evidence from large-scale studies has confirmed that screening for distress does not universally improve patient-reported outcomes without uptake by frontline clinicians, simple interpretation of scores, and adequate healthcare resources to ensure that timely interventions and adequate follow-up are offered in all cases with unmet needs. Further attention should also be given to an important subgroup of patients who are identified as distressed but nevertheless decline professional help. Without all key components of high quality of care in place, routine screening is perceived as an unnecessary burden by patients and staff. Yet when integrated into a holistic high-quality healthcare model, screening for distress has the potential to improve the well-being of patients and caregivers.