A Taxonomy for Psycho-Oncological Intervention Techniques in an Acute Care Hospital in Germany

Madl M, Lieb M, Schieber K, Hepp T, Erim Y (2021)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2021

Journal

Oncology Research and Treatment Karger Publishers

Abstract

Background: Due to the establishment of a nationwide certification system for cancer centers in Germany, the availability of psycho-oncological services for cancer patients has increased substantially. However, little is known about the specific intervention techniques that are applied during sessions in an acute care hospital, since a standardized taxonomy is lacking. With this study, we aimed at the investigation of psycho-oncological intervention techniques and the development of a comprehensive and structured taxonomy thereof. Methods: In a stepwise procedure, a team of psycho-oncologists generated a data pool of interventions and definitions that were tested in clinical practice during a pilot phase. After an adaptation of intervention techniques, interrater reliability (IRR) was attained by rating 10 previously recorded psycho-oncological sessions. A classification of interventions into superordinate categories was performed, supported by cluster analysis. Results: Between April and June 2017, 980 psycho-oncological sessions took place. The experts agreed on a total number of 22 intervention techniques. An IRR of 89% for 2 independent psycho-oncological raters was reached. The 22 techniques were classified into 5 superordinate categories. Discussion/Conclusion: We developed a comprehensive and structured taxonomy of psycho-oncological intervention techniques in an acute care hospital that provides a standardized basis for systematic research and applied care. We expect our work to be continuously subjected to further development: future research should evaluate and expand our taxonomy to other contexts and care settings.

Authors with CRIS profile

Martina Madl Professur für Psychosomatik und Psychotherapie Marietta Lieb Professur für Psychosomatik und Psychotherapie Katharina Schieber Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy Tobias Hepp Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy Yesim Erim Professur für Psychosomatik und Psychotherapie

How to cite

APA:

Madl, M., Lieb, M., Schieber, K., Hepp, T., & Erim, Y. (2021). A Taxonomy for Psycho-Oncological Intervention Techniques in an Acute Care Hospital in Germany. Oncology Research and Treatment. https://doi.org/10.1159/000517532

MLA:

Madl, Martina, et al. "A Taxonomy for Psycho-Oncological Intervention Techniques in an Acute Care Hospital in Germany." Oncology Research and Treatment (2021).

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