Building a psychosocial and spiritual care service for children with cancer and their families

• Published in: SA journal of oncology 2019-01, Vol.3 (1), p.1-8
• Main Authors: Van Eyssen, Ann, Davidson, Alan, Kahl, Gisela, Meiring, Michelle A., Andrade, Anabela, Burger, Dianne R., Thompson, Vanessa, Steenveld, Clint M., Pedersen, Lynn, Balagadde-Kambugu, Joyce, Rackstraw, Angela, Hendricks, Marc, Farlam, Peter, Hendricks, Shehaam
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 2518-8704; 2518-8704
• DOI: 10.4102/sajo.v3i0.52

Background: Comprehensive, coordinated psychosocial, supportive and spiritual care is an essential component of the holistic care of childhood cancer sufferers and their families.Aim: The authors detail the development and value of a multidisciplinary psychosocial care team as an essential adjunct to care of childhood cancer sufferers.Methods: A historic preamble details a period during which psychosocial and supportive care was the sole province of the paediatric oncologists and social workers and describes that the process of creating a multidisciplinary psychosocial and spiritual care team has enhanced medical care.Results: Each member of the psychosocial group describes their care philosophy and their role in the clinical setting. We also describe the critical role of the meeting as a teaching vehicle for oncology fellows.Conclusion: This reproducible partnership between public and private sector practitioners, designed in a resource-constrained setting, affords a diverse and highly skilled group of professionals the opportunity to meet the medical, psychological, social and spiritual needs of patients and families as they transition through the care journey.