Impact of a breast cancer care RN-coordinator program on patients’ distress level

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine whether patients receiving navigation supportive care from a Breast Cancer Care Coordinator (BCCC), prior to initial oncology consultation at a British Columbia Cancer Agency, Abbotsford Centre (BCCA-AC), demonstrated different levels of anxiety and depression from those not receiving such support at the same BCCA centre. A retrospective review of the Psychological Screen for Cancer (PSSCAN) scores of new breast cancer patients seen for oncology consultation for the control cohort (receiving usual care) were compared to PSSCAN scores of those who had received care from a BCCC prior to the oncology consultation (the study cohort). A total of 91 PSSCANs were reviewed in the study, with 54 belonging to the treatment group and 37 to the control group. PSSCAN scores for anxiety and depression did not show significant differences between the two groups.