Poster Presentation Clinical Oncology Society of Australia Annual Scientific Meeting 2022

Development of psycho-oncology telehealth recommendations: a Delphi consensus study (#192)

Claire Cooper 1 , Jemma Gilchrist 2 , Lisa Beatty 3 , Laura Kirsten 4 , Louise Sharpe 5 , Nienke Zomerdijk 6 , Maree Grier 7 , Jane Turner 8 , Kim Hobbs 9 , Helen Haydon 10 , Haryana Dhillon 11 , Brian Kelly 12 , Joanne Shaw 1
  1. Psycho-oncology Cooperative Research Group (PoCoG), University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
  2. Western Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  3. College of Education, Psychology and Social Work, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
  4. Nepean Cancer Care Centre, Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District, Kingswood, NSW, Australia
  5. School of Psychology, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  6. Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
  7. Psychology Department, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital , Brisbane, QLD, Australia
  8. Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
  9. Westmead Hospital, Western Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  10. Centre for Online Health, Centre for Health Services Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
  11. Centre for Medical Psychology & Evidence-Based Decision Making, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  12. Faculty of Health and Medicine, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia

Aim

The COVID-19 pandemic triggered rapid implementation of telehealth (telephone and videoconference) in Australia. Psycho-oncology clinicians report a need for greater guidance on adapting in person psycho-oncology therapies to telehealth.  We aimed to establish consensus on elements of psycho-oncology therapy that can be adapted for telehealth for inclusion in an educational resource incorporating clinical practice recommendations.

Methods

Draft recommendations were developed based on existing literature, reviews and guidelines. These were refined using a co-design process involving expert consultation (n=13) with psycho-oncology clinicians and researchers.  This process identified some uncertainty around key recommendations.  A two round Delphi consensus process was conducted to confirm the relative importance and therapeutic appropriateness of content for inclusion in clinical practice recommendations. Participants included psycho-oncology clinicians with telehealth experience. Respondents rated their level of agreement with each statement on a 5-point Likert scale. Consensus was defined as >80 % of respondents scoring within 2 points on the Likert scale.

Results

The co-design approach identified key topics for inclusion in the recommendations: (1) preparation for telehealth (e.g., privacy, security, technical considerations); (2) clinical and cultural considerations (e.g., safety considerations, therapeutic alliance, vulnerable/underserved communities); (3) adaptations to therapeutic assessment and intervention; (4) specific client considerations (e.g., clients in palliative care).  32 clinicians participated in Delphi Round 1, where thirteen recommendations were presented and consensus reached for nine. Recommendations where consensus was not reached were re-presented in Round 2. We will present the consensus recommendations based on the Delphi.

Conclusion and clinical implication

The clinical practice recommendations will provide a robust expert-endorsed educational resource to guide psycho-oncology clinicians tailoring their practice to telehealth. This will support delivery of evidence-based treatments to people living with cancer, increasing the sustainability of, and confidence in, psycho-oncology telehealth.