Dr Tara Clinton-McHarg

People living with mental health conditions have a reduced life expectancy of approximately 10 years compared to the general population, largely due to physical chronic diseases and higher rates of tobacco smoking, poor nutrition, harmful alcohol consumption, physical inactivity and poor sleep behaviours. Community managed organisations (CMOs) may play a valuable role in providing preventive care to people with mental health conditions (consumers) to address these health behaviours. This paper reports the findings of a cross-sectional survey undertaken between November 2018 and February 2019 with leaders of CMOs (n = 76) that support people with mental health conditions in the state of New South Wales, Australia to: 1) measure the provision of preventive care (screening, support, and connections to specialist services) for five health behaviours; 2) identify the presence of key organisational features (e.g., data collection, staff training); and 3) explore if these organisational features were associated with the provision of preventive care. Preventive care provision to a majority of consumers (50% or more) was least frequently reported for tobacco smoking and most frequently reported for physical activity. Staff training and guidelines regarding the provision of preventive care were associated with the provision of such care. The results demonstrate that CMOs are already engaged in providing preventive care to some extent, with certain behaviours and preventive care elements addressed more frequently than others. Further research with additional CMO stakeholders, including staff and consumers, is needed to gain a deeper understanding of factors that may underlie CMOs capacity to routinely provide preventive care.

Purpose: Caring for a person diagnosed with cancer is associated with elevated distress that may impact on caregiver health and patient outcomes. However, caregivers¿ distress is relatively under-researched. This Australian study explored a range of caregivers¿ reported sources of distress. Methods: The grounded theory approach informed semi-structured interviews that were conducted with a purposive and broad range sample of distressed caregivers identified through the ¿Structured Triage And Referral by Telephone¿ (START) trial. A grounded theory framework was used to generate themes with data analysed by two independent coders using the NVivo software. Results: Caregivers (n = 14) were aged from 25 to 80 years, including two bereaved caregivers. The relationships of the caregivers to the patients were as follows: partner (n = 8), parent (n = 1), child (n = 3), sibling (n = 1), and friend (n = 1). Six major themes emerged in relation to sources of distress: (1) a lack of sufficient and timely information; (2) uncertainty; (3) the role and duties of caregiving; (4) lack of family-centred services; (5) practical challenges; and (6) impact of distress. Conclusion: Caregivers face a number of specific challenges beyond those experienced by patients. It is essential to ensure that caregivers are actively well-informed and well-supported alongside the person who is diagnosed with cancer.

Purpose: People affected by chronic diseases such as cancer report high levels of distress and a need for psychosocial support. It is unclear whether telephone-based services for people affected by chronic disease are a practical setting for implementing distress screening, referral protocols and rescreening to direct supportive care where it is needed. This systematic review aimed to describe the published literature regarding distress screening and supportive care referral practices in telephone-based services for people affected by chronic diseases such as cancer. Methods: A systematic literature search of MEDLINE, Embase, PsycInfo, CINAHL, Cochrane and Scopus was conducted in February 2018. Included quantitative studies involved: patients or caregivers affected by chronic diseases including cancer and describe a health service assessing psychosocial needs or distress via telephone. Extracted data included the type of cancer or other chronic disease, sample size, screening tool, referral or rescreening protocols, and type of health service. Results: The search identified 3989 potential articles with additional searches returning 30 studies (n = 4019); fourteen were eligible for full-text review. Of the 14 studies, 13 included cancer patients. Studies were across multiple settings and identified nine distress screening tools in use. Conclusion: The reviewed studies indicate that validated distress-screening tools are being used via telephone to identify distress, particularly in relation to cancer. Screening-driven supportive care referrals are also taking place in telephone-based services. However, not all services use an established referral protocol. Ongoing rescreening of callers¿ distress is also limited despite it being an important recommendation from psycho-oncology guidelines.

Issue addressed: Supporting centre-based childcare services to create physical activity (PA) environments is a recommended strategy to improve child PA. This study aimed to describe the implementation of PA policies and practices by these services, and to examine the associations with service characteristics. Methods: Nominated supervisors of childcare services (n¿=¿309) in the Hunter New England region, New South Wales, Australia, completed a telephone interview. Using previously validated measures, the interview assessed the implementation of evidence-based practices shown to be associated with child PA. This includes: (a) provision of active play opportunities, (b) portable play equipment availability, (c) delivery of daily fundamental movement skills, (d) having at least 50% of staff trained in promoting child PA the past 5¿years and (e) having written PA and small screen recreation policies. Results: Although 98% (95% CI 96, 99) of childcare services provided active play opportunities for at least 25% of their daily opening hours, only 8% (95% CI 5, 11) of services fully implemented all policies and practices; with no service characteristic associated with full implementation. Long day care service had twice the odds of having a written PA policy (OR 2.0, 95% CI 0.7, 5.8), compared to preschools (adjusted for service size, socio-economic disadvantage and geographical location). Conclusions: Improvements could be made to childcare services¿ operations to support the promotion of child PA. So what?: To ensure the benefits to child health, childcare services require support to implement a number of PA promoting policies and practices that are known to improve child PA.

Objective: To examine: alcohol and fast food sponsorship of junior community sporting clubs; the association between sponsorship and club characteristics; and parent and club representative attitudes toward sponsorship. Methods: A cross-sectional telephone survey of representatives from junior community football clubs across New South Wales and Victoria, Australia, and parents/carers of junior club members. Participants were from junior teams with Level 3 accreditation in the ¿Good Sports¿ program. Results: A total of 79 club representatives and 297 parents completed the survey. Half of participating clubs (49%) were sponsored by the alcohol industry and one-quarter (27%) were sponsored by the fast food industry. In multivariate analyses, the odds of alcohol sponsorship among rugby league clubs was 7.4 (95%CI: 1.8¿31.0, p=<0.006) that of AFL clubs, and clubs located in regional areas were more likely than those in major cities to receive fast food industry sponsorship (OR= 9.1; 95%CI: 1.0¿84.0, p=0.05). The majority (78¿81%) of club representatives and parents were supportive of restrictions to prohibit certain alcohol sponsorship practices, but a minority (42%) were supportive of restrictions to prohibit certain fast food sponsorship practices. Conclusions: Large proportions of community sports clubs with junior members are sponsored by the alcohol industry and the fast food industry. There is greater acceptability for prohibiting sponsorship from the alcohol industry than the fast food industry. Implications for public health: Health promotion efforts should focus on reducing alcohol industry and fast food industry sponsorship of junior sports clubs.

Background: Identifying factors influencing the implementation of evidence-based environmental recommendations to promote physical activity in childcare services is required to develop effective implementation strategies. This systematic review aimed to: (1) identify barriers and facilitators reported by center-based childcare services impacting the implementation of environmental recommendations to increase physical activity among children, (2) synthesize these factors according to the 14 domains of the "Theoretical Domains Framework," and (3) report any associations between service or provider characteristics and the reported implementation of such recommendations. Methods: Electronic searches were conducted in 6 scientific databases (eg, MEDLINE) and Google Scholar to identify studies reporting data from childcare staff or other stakeholders responsible for childcare operations. Included studies were based on childcare settings and published in English. From 2164 identified citations, 19 articles met the inclusion criteria (11 qualitative, 4 quantitative, and 4 mixed methods). Results: Across all articles, the majority of factors impacting implementation fell into the "environmental context and resources" domain (eg, time, equipment, and space; n = 19) and the "social influences" domain (eg, support from parents, colleagues, supervisors; n = 11). Conclusion: The current review provides guidance to improve the implementation of environmental recommendations in childcare services by addressing environmental, resource, and social barriers.

Objective The objective of this study was to explore medical oncology outpatients' perceived experiences of errors in their cancer care. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted. English-speaking medical oncology outpatients aged 18 years or older were recruited from 9 Australian cancer treatment centers. Participants completed 2 paper-and-pencil questionnaires: An initial survey on demographic, disease and treatment characteristics upon recruitment; and a second survey on their experiences of errors in cancer care 1 month later. Results A total of 1818 patients (80%) consented to participate, and of these, 1136 (62%) completed both surveys. One hundred forty-eight participants (13%) perceived that an error had been made in their care, of which one third (n = 46) reported that the error was associated with severe harm. Of those who perceived an error had been made, less than half reported that they had received an explanation for the error (n = 65, 45%) and only one third reported receiving an apology (n = 50, 35%) or being told that steps had been taken to prevent the error from reoccurring (n = 52, 36%). Patients with university or vocational level education (odds ratio [OR] = 1.6 [1.09-2.45], P = 0.0174) and those who received radiotherapy (OR = 1.72 [1.16-2.57]; P = 0.0076) or "other" treatments (OR = 3.23 [1.08-9.63]; P = 0.0356) were significantly more likely to report an error in care. Conclusions There is significant scope to improve communication with patients and appropriate responses by the healthcare system after a perceived error in cancer care.

Issues addressed: To: (i) describe the prevalence of policies and practices promoting healthy eating implemented by sports clubs with junior teams; (ii) examine differences in such practices across geographic and operational characteristics of clubs; and (iii) describe the attitudes of club representatives and parents regarding the acceptability of sports clubs implementing policies and practices to promote healthy eating. Methods: Cross-sectional telephone surveys of junior community football club management representatives and parents/carers of junior players were conducted in the states of New South Wales and Victoria, Australia in 2016. Results: Seventy-nine of the 89 club representatives approached to participate completed the telephone survey. All clubs (100%; 95% CI 96.2-100.0) reported recommending fruit or water be provided to players after games or at half-time, 24% (95% CI 14.4-33.7) reported promoting healthy food options through prominent positioning at point of sale and only 8% (95% CI 1.6-13.6) of clubs had a written healthy eating policy. There were no significant differences between the mean number of healthy eating policies and practices implemented by club socio-economic or geographic characteristics. Club representatives and parents/carers were supportive of clubs promoting healthy eating for junior players. Conclusions: While there is strong support within sporting clubs with junior teams for policies and practices to promote healthy eating, their implementation is highly variable. So what?: A considerable opportunity remains for health promotion policy and practice improvement in clubs with junior teams, particularly regarding policies related to nutrition.

The primary aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of a childcare-based intervention in increasing child physical activity by allowing children unrestricted access to outdoor areas for free-play when structured activity is not taking place. A randomized controlled trial was conducted in six childcare services. Intervention services provided children unrestricted access outdoors for active free-play, while control services provided their usual scheduled periods of outdoor play. Consent was obtained from 231 children. Child moderate to vigorous activity (MVPA), the primary trial outcome, was assessed via accelerometer at baseline and 3 months post baseline. Intervention effects were examined using Generalised Linear Mixed Models. Controlling for child age, gender and baseline outcome measure, at follow-up there were no significant differences between groups in minutes of MVPA in-care (mean difference: 4.85; 95% CI: -3.96, 13.66; P = 0.28), proportion of wear time in-care spent in MVPA (mean difference: 1.52%; 95% CI: -0.50, 3.53; P = 0.14) or total physical activity in-care (mean difference in counts per minute: 23.18; 95% CI: -4.26, 50.61; P = 0.10), nor on measures of child cognition (P = 0.45-0.91). It was concluded that interventions addressing multiple aspects of the childcare and home environment might provide the greatest potential to improve child physical activity.

Purpose: The majority of research on psychological outcomes for cancer patients has focussed on the role of individual characteristics, and disease and treatment factors. There has been very little exploration of the potential contribution of the treatment clinic to these outcomes. This study explored whether there is variation among clinics in cancer patients¿ psychological outcomes. Methods: Cancer outpatients were recruited from 22 medical oncology and haematology clinics in Australia. Participants completed a pen and paper survey including the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), as well as sociodemographic, disease and treatment characteristics. Results: Of those eligible to participate, 4233 (82%) consented and 2811 (81% of consenters) returned the completed survey. There was no statistically significant variation in HADS depression scores across clinics. Some difference in anxiety scores derived from the HADS questionnaire between clinics (p = 0.03) was found with the percentage of between-clinic variation estimated to be 1.11%. However, once all demographic, disease and treatment predictors were adjusted for there was no statistical differences between clinics (percent of between-clinic variation = 0.53%; p = 0.1415). Conclusions: Psychological outcomes were not found to vary between clinics. Other sources of variation including patient characteristics may over-ride between-clinic variability, if it exists.

Objective To (i) describe the proportion of foods and beverages available on school canteen menus classified as having high ('green'), moderate ('amber') or low ('red') nutritional value; (ii) describe the proportion of these items purchased by students; and (iii) examine the association between food and beverage availability on school canteen menus and food and beverage purchasing by students.Design A cross-sectional study was conducted as part of a larger randomised controlled trial (RCT).Setting A nested sample of fifty randomly selected government schools from the Hunter New England region of New South Wales, Australia, who had participated in an RCT of an intervention to improve the availability of healthy foods sold from school canteens, was approached to participate.Subjects School principals, canteen managers and students.Results The average proportion of green, amber and red items available on menus was 47·9, 47·4 and 4·7 %, respectively. The average proportion of green, amber and red items purchased by students was 30·1, 61·8 and 8·1 %, respectively. There was a significant positive relationship between the availability and purchasing of green (R 2=0·66), amber (R 2=0·57) and red menu items (R 2=0·61). In each case, a 1 % increase in the availability of items in these categories was associated with a 1·21, 1·35 and 1·67 % increase in purchasing of items of high, moderate and low nutritional value, respectively.Conclusions The findings provide support for school-based policies to improve the relative availability of healthy foods for sale in these settings.

The aim of this study was to describe the research output and citation rates (academic impact) of public health dissemination and implementation research according to research design and study type. A cross sectional bibliographic study was undertaken in 2013. All original data-based studies and review articles focusing on dissemination and implementation research that had been published in 10 randomly selected public health journals in 2008 were audited. The electronic database ¿Scopus¿ was used to calculate 5-year citation rates for all included publications. Of the 1648 publications examined, 216 were original data-based research or literature reviews focusing on dissemination and implementation research. Of these 72% were classified as descriptive/epidemiological, 26% were intervention and just 1.9% were measurement research. Cross-sectional studies were the most common study design (47%). Reviews, randomized trials, non-randomized trials and decision/cost-effectiveness studies each represented between 6 and 10% of all output. Systematic reviews, randomized controlled trials and cohort studies were the most frequently cited study designs. The study suggests that publications that had the greatest academic impact (highest citation rates) made up only a small proportion of overall public health dissemination and implementation research output.

Background: Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) affects up to 28 % of the adult population in Western countries. The detection and management of OSA by general practitioners (GPs) can be poor. The study aimed to examine what influence enhanced invitations had on uptake of on-line learning modules for OSA by GPs, and whether recent referrals of patients to sleep specialists influenced uptake. Methods: Practicing GPs in regional Australia were identified and randomised to receive either an enhanced or standard invitation letter to a new on-line education module for OSA. The enhanced letter included indication that the module was eligible for professional accreditation and described the prevalence and burden of sleep disorders. Some included extra emphasis if the GP had recently referred a patient for diagnostic investigation of OSA. Two reminder letters were sent. Results: Of 796 eligible GPs who received the letters, sixteen (2 %) accessed the website and four completed the modules over the four-month study period. GPs who received an enhanced invitation letter were not significantly more likely to access the website compared to GPs who received the standard invitation letter. Recent referral of a patient for diagnostic investigation was also not a significant factor in influencing use of the module. Conclusion: GP interest in on-line education about OSA appears low, and emphasis of relevant recent past patient(s) and the opportunity for professional education points was not successful in increasing engagement. There is a need to identify effective approaches to improving the detection and management of OSA in general practice.

Aim: This study aimed to assess the impact of including healthier options on fast food restaurant menus on total energy of parent-reported intended purchases and frequency to eat at fast food outlets for young children. Methods: Parents from an existing health survey cohort were approached to participate. They were eligible to participate if they resided in the Hunter region in NSW, could understand English and had a child aged between 3 and 12 years. Parents were randomised using a random number function embedded in the computer assisted telephone interview software, to receive one of two hypothetical fast food menus: one with healthier options and the other without healthier options (standard menu). After receiving these menus, participants completed a second telephone survey. Parents reported intended food purchases for their nominated child and intended number of visits to the fast food outlet with the hypothetical menu. Results: There was no significant difference in total energy of parent-reported intended purchases for their child, between the standard menu with (n = 101) and without (n = 113) healthier options (P = 0.60). There was also no difference in the frequency of intending to eat at the fast food restaurant between the two groups (P = 0.80). Conclusions: The provision of healthier options in itself may not reduce the total energy of intended purchases of parents for young children at fast food restaurants.

The aim of this short report was to describe the output and citation rates of public health. Data-based publications and literature reviews from the year 2008, and their 5-year citation rates were extracted from 10 randomly selected public health journals. In total, 86.2% of publications were descriptive/epidemiological studies, 56.8% used cross-sectional (56.8%) designs and 77.8% were classified as research translation stage 2. Reviews and publications describing randomized controlled trials were the most highly cited, but were infrequently published. Strategies to address the discordance between public health research output and research citation may improve the impact of public health research.

Introduction and Aims: Bars, pubs and taverns in cities are often concentrated in entertainment precincts that are associated with higher rates of alcohol-related crime. This study assessed public perception and experiences of such crime in two city entertainment precincts, and support for alcohol-related crime reduction strategies. Design and Methods: A cross-sectional household telephone survey in two Australian regions assessed: perception and experiences of crime; support for crime reduction strategies; and differences in such perceptions and support. Results: Six hundred ninety-four people completed the survey (32%). Most agreed that alcohol was a problem in their entertainment precinct (90%) with violence the most common alcohol-related problem reported (97%). Almost all crime reduction strategies were supported by more than 50% of participants, including visitors to the entertainment precincts, with the latter being slightly less likely to support earlier closing and restrictions on premises density. Participants in one region were more likely to support earlier closing and lock-out times. Those at-risk of acute alcohol harm were less likely to support more restrictive policies. Discussion and Conclusions: High levels of community concern and support for alcohol harm-reduction strategies, including restrictive strategies, provide policy makers with a basis for implementing evidence-based strategies to reduce such harms in city entertainment precincts.

Background. Information about the unmet supportive care needs of haematological cancer patients is needed for service planning and to inform clinical practice. This study described the prevalence of, and factors associated with, unmet supportive care needs among haematological cancer patients. Material and methods. A total of 380 adults diagnosed with haematological cancer were recruited from the outpatient department at three comprehensive cancer treatment centres in Australia. Of these, 311 completed a self-report questionnaire. Unmet needs were assessed using the 34-item Supportive Care Needs Survey (SCNS-SF34). The data were examined using descriptive statistics and logistic regression. Results. Overall, 51% (95% CI 45-57%) of participants reported having at least one 'moderate to high' level unmet need, while 25% (95% CI 20-30%) reported 'no need' for help with any items. Unmet needs were most commonly reported in the psychological (35%; 95% CI 30-41%) and physical aspects of daily living (35%; 95% CI 30-41%) domains. The three most frequently endorsed items of 'moderate to high' unmet need were: lack of energy/tiredness (24%; 95% CI 20-30%), not being able to do the things you used to do (21%; 95% CI 17-26%), and uncertainty about the future (21%; 95% CI 16-25%). Patients' sociodemographic characteristics influenced unmet needs more than disease characteristics. Patients who were female, aged less than 55 years or not in the labour force had higher odds of reporting 'moderate to high' level unmet supportive care needs. Conclusion. Unmet supportive care needs are prevalent among haematological cancer patients, particularly in the psychological and physical aspects of daily living domains. These findings provide valuable insight about the range of resources, multidisciplinary linkages and referral pathways needed to address haematological cancer patients' unmet needs.

BACKGROUND The Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommended 6 objectives for achieving patient-centered care. However, most patient-reported outcome measures developed with cancer populations fail to address all 6 patient-centeredness dimensions. The Quality of Patient-Centered Cancer Care (QPCCC) measure was developed on the basis of IOM recommendations, and the measure's validity, reliability, and floor and ceiling effects were examined. METHODS The development of the QPCCC measure included interviews with hematological cancer survivors and feedback from hematologists and cancer patients. To evaluate the measure's psychometric properties, hematological cancer survivors were identified via 2 cancer registries and were mailed the QPCCC measure. To examine test-retest reliability, a second QPCCC measure was mailed to survivors 7 to 14 days after they had returned the first measure. RESULTS Overall, 545 hematological cancer survivors completed the 48-item QPCCC measure. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a 10-factor structure with factor loadings>0.40. The subscales were labeled Treatment Delivery, Treatment Decision Making, Coordinated and Integrated Care, Emotional Support, Timely Care, Follow-Up Care, Respectful Communication, Patient Preferences and Values, Cancer Information, and Equitable Care. The QPCCC measure demonstrated acceptable internal consistency for all subscales (Cronbach's a=.73-.94). When test-retest reliability was assessed, 4 items demonstrated substantial agreement (¿>0.60), whereas 40 items showed moderate agreement (¿=0.41-0.60). Ceiling effects were present for 8 subscales. CONCLUSIONS The QPCCC measure has acceptable face and content validity, construct validity, and internal consistency. However, the measure's discriminant validity and test-retest reliability could be improved. The QPCCC measure could be used to improve patient-centered cancer care. Cancer 2015;121:2383-2392.

Objectives To examine the research translation phase focus (T1-T4) of systematic reviews published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR) and Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE). Briefly, T1 includes reviews of basic science experiments; T2 includes reviews of human trials leading to guideline development; T3 includes reviews examining how to move guidelines into policy and practice; and T4 includes reviews describing the impact of changing health practices on population outcomes. Study Design and Setting A cross-sectional audit of randomly selected reviews from CDSR (n = 500) and DARE (n = 500) was undertaken. The research translation phase of reviews, overall and by communicable disease, noncommunicable disease, and injury subgroups, were coded by two researchers. Results A total of 898 reviews examined a communicable, noncommunicable, or injury-related condition. Of those, 98% of reviews within CDSR focused on T2, and the remaining 2% focused on T3. In DARE, 88% focused on T2, 8.7% focused on T1, 2.5% focused on T3, and 1.3% focused on T4. Almost all reviews examining communicable (CDSR 100%, DARE 93%), noncommunicable (CDSR 98%, DARE 87%), and injury (CDSR 95%, DARE 88%) were also T2 focused. Conclusion Few reviews exist to guide practitioners and policy makers with implementing evidence-based treatments or programs.

Objective Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) that assess the quality of patient-centred cancer care have failed to measure all six patient-centredness dimensions endorsed by the Institute of Medicine (IOM). This study is the first to use the Quality of Patient-Centered Cancer Care (QPCCC) measure that covers all six IOM patient-centredness dimensions to examine haematological cancer survivors' perceptions of care and characteristics associated with perceived quality of care. Methods Haematological cancer survivors diagnosed in the last 6 years and aged 18-80 years were recruited from two Australian state population-based cancer registries. Survivors were mailed the 48-item QPCCC measure. Results Overall, 545 haematological cancer survivors completed the measure. Areas of care most commonly identified as delivered were hospital staff showing respect to survivors (93%) and making sure the correct treatment was received (93%). Aspects of care most frequently nominated as not delivered were hospital staff helping family and friends (34%) or the survivor (32%) to find other people with similar experiences to talk to. Characteristics associated with survivors perceiving higher quality care was delivered included being employed, having private health insurance, being younger, a Non-Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosis and more recent diagnosis. Being depressed or stressed was associated with perceived lower quality of care. Conclusions Provision of peer support programs that allow haematological cancer survivors and families and friends to talk to others in similar situations could be improved. Using PROMs to identify areas where cancer survivors perceive improvements are needed is essential to quality improvement efforts.

Objectives: To determine the: (1) proportion of studies that describe characteristics of helpline service delivery, compared to the proportion that report trials testing efficacy or effectiveness of helplines in changing user outcomes; (2) proportion of efficacy or effectiveness studies that meet EPOC criteria for methodological rigor; and (3) potential benefits of cancer helplines for people affected by cancer based on findings from rigorous efficacy or effectiveness trials. Methods: Electronic databases (Medline, PsycINFO, EMBASE and CINAHL) were searched to identify English-language studies describing original research published from 1991 to 2011. Results: Twenty-eight publications met the review inclusion criteria. From these studies, data on: the characteristics of cancer helpline users; call content; and user satisfaction, were extracted. The potential for helplines to improve the psychosocial outcomes of callers was examined for the three intervention trials. Conclusion: There is a lack of robust evidence regarding the level and types of benefits that cancer helplines may deliver to callers affected by cancer. Given increased emphasis on delivering best-practise supportive care, building the evidence base in this field may assist cancer helplines to increase their service uptake, reach, and benefit to callers. Practise implications: There is a need for more rigorous intervention-focussed studies in this field across a broader range of cancer populations. Future studies should focus on relevant patient-centred outcomes, such as improved knowledge and greater involvement in decision-making, while incorporating process measures to account for intervention fidelity and clinical performance.

Background This study aimed to: (1) estimate the prevalence of anxiety and/or depression among haematological cancer patients attending treatment centres; and (2) explore the demographic, disease and treatment characteristics associated with anxiety and/or depression. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted with outpatients from three haematology clinics in Australia. Patients with a confirmed diagnosis of haematological cancer were approached by a research assistant while waiting for their appointment and invited to participate in the survey. Participants completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and self-reported demographic, disease and treatment characteristics. Results Questionnaires from 304 participants were returned. Twenty-seven percent of patients reported anxiety and 17% reported depression. Specifically, 15% reported anxiety without depression, 5% reported depression without anxiety, and 12% reported comorbid anxiety and depression. Participants who had to relocate to receive treatment had almost three times the odds of reporting anxiety and/or depression compared to those who did not have to move. Former smokers also had significantly higher odds of reporting anxiety and/or depression. Limitations The HADS is likely to have produced some false positives and false negatives when compared with gold standard structured clinical interviews for assessing psychological morbidity. Conclusions Approximately 20% of haematological cancer patients attending outpatient clinics may experience clinically significant levels of anxiety and/or depression. Providing additional tailored support to patients who have had to relocate for treatment, and to former smokers, may help to reduce anxiety and depression among these subgroups. © 2014 Published by Elsevier B.V.

Background: The Institute of Medicine (IOM) has endorsed six dimensions of patient-centredness as crucial to providing quality healthcare. These dimensions outline that care must be: 1) respectful to patients' values, preferences, and expressed needs; 2) coordinated and integrated; 3) provide information, communication, and education; 4) ensure physical comfort; 5) provide emotional support-relieving fear and anxiety; and 6) involve family and friends. However, whether patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) comprehensively cover these dimensions remains unexplored. This systematic review examined whether PROMs designed to assess the quality of patient-centred cancer care addressed all six IOM dimensions of patient-centred care and the psychometric properties of these measures.Methods: Medline, PsycINFO, Current Contents, Embase, CINAHL and Scopus were searched to retrieve published studies describing the development and psychometric properties of PROMs assessing the quality of patient-centred cancer care. Two authors determined if eligible PROMs included the six IOM dimensions of patient-centred care and evaluated the adequacy of psychometric properties based on recommended criteria for internal consistency, test-retest reliability, face/content validity, construct validity and cross-cultural adaptation.Results: Across all 21 PROMs, the most commonly included IOM dimension of patient-centred care was " information, communication and education" (19 measures). In contrast, only five measures assessed the " involvement of family and friends." Two measures included one IOM-endorsed patient-centred care dimension, two measures had two dimensions, seven measures had three dimensions, five measures had four dimensions, and four measures had five dimensions. One measure, the Indicators (Non-small Cell Lung Cancer), covered all six IOM dimensions of patient-centred care, but had adequate face/content validity only. Eighteen measures met the recommended adequacy criteria for construct validity, 15 for face/content validity, seven for internal consistency, three for cross-cultural adaptation and no measure for test-retest reliability.Conclusions: There are no psychometrically rigorous PROMs developed with cancer patients that capture all six IOM dimensions of patient-centred care. Using more than one measure or expanding existing measures to cover all six patient-centred care dimensions could improve assessment and delivery of patient-centred care. Construction of new comprehensive measures with acceptable psychometric properties that can be used with the general cancer population may also be warranted. © 2014 Tzelepis et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.