Enabling supportive care screening and evidence-based referrals for patients with cancer: Patient acceptability and clinician implementation of the supportive care resource kit (SCRK)

The Resource Kit was developed to enable supportive care screening of cancer patients accompanied by evidence-based referrals. Patient acceptability of the screening/referral process was assessed alongside clinician ability to undertake screening/referral in line with training received and the resource kit protocols. Forty patients and seven clinicians participated. Patients completed a brief screening tool to identify unmet needs and participated in a discussion with a trained clinician who identified strategies to meet these needs. Patients subsequently completed an acceptability questionnaire whilst clinician actions to identified needs were assessed. Patient acceptability of the screening/referral process was high and future use endorsed (97%) with the process helping to fully identify patient needs (91%) and promote realisation that help/support was available when needed (100%). Clinicians successfully applied skills learned from training to appropriately refer 88% of patient domain needs in line with the resource kit protocols. Future use of the resource kit may assist the incorporation of supportive care screening/referral into clinical practice to improve patient care.