Posttraumatic stress as a contributor to behavioral health outcomes and healthcare utilization in adult survivors of childhood cancer: a report from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study.

PURPOSE: To examine the association between posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), neurocognitive and psychosocial late-effects, health behaviors, and healthcare utilization in long-term survivors of childhood cancer. METHODS: Participants included individuals (N = 6844; 52.5% female; mean [SD] age at diagnosis = 7.6 [5.8], at follow-up = 34.9 [7.5]) in the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS). Follow-up included the Posttraumatic Stress Scale, Brief Symptom Inventory-18, Short-form 36 Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) survey, CCSS Neurocognitive Questionnaire, and questions about sociodemographics, physical health, health behaviors, and healthcare utilization. Modified Poisson regression and multinomial logistic regression models examined associations between posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and neurocognitive, HRQOL, health behavior, and healthcare outcomes when adjusting for sociodemographics, disease, and treatment. RESULTS: Long-term survivors with PTSS (N = 995, 14.5%) reported more impairment in mental (relative risk [RR] 3.42, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.05-3.85), and physical (RR = 2.26, CI = 1.96-2.61) HRQOL. PTSS was also associated with increased impairment in task efficiency (RR = 3.09, CI = 2.72-3.51), working memory (RR = 2.55, CI = 2.30-2.83), organization (RR = 2.11, CI = 1.78-2.50), and emotional regulation (RR = 3.67, CI = 3.30-4.09). Survivors with PTSS were significantly more likely to attend cancer-specific health visits in the past 2 years (OR = 1.89, CI = 1.50-2.39), and showed greater likelihood of either high frequency (OR = 1.89, CI = 1.50-2.39) or complete lack of (OR = 1.63, CI = 1.32-2.01) primary care visits compared to survivors without PTSS. CONCLUSIONS: Survivors with PTSS reported significantly more psychosocial and neurocognitive late effects, and were more likely to engage in variable use of healthcare. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: PTSS is associated with additional challenges for a population vulnerable to adverse late effects. Inclusion of integrative services during follow-up visits may benefit functional outcomes.

Psychology in patient-centered medical homes: Reducing health disparities and promoting health equity.

With persisting health disparities contributing to a disproportionate impact on the health and well-being of socially disenfranchised and medically underserved populations, the emerging patient-centered medical home (PCMH) model offers promise in bridging the health disparities divide. Because behavioral health care is an important component of the PCMH, psychologists have significant opportunity to contribute to the development and implementation of PCMH services in settings that primarily serve medically underserved communities. In this article, after briefly defining the PCMH model and its role in clinical settings for medically underserved populations for whom health disparities are present, roles of psychologists as interprofessional collaborators on PCMH medical care teams are explored. Next, the constellation of competencies that position psychologists as behavioral health specialists to contribute to PCMH care teams for medically underserved groups are characterized. The article concludes with reflections on the prospects for psychologists to make tangible contributions as health care team members toward reducing health disparities and promoting health equity in patients served in the PCMH. (PsycINFO Database Record

Meeting evolving workforce needs: Preparing psychologists for leadership in the patient-centered medical home.

Behavioral health integration in the patient-centered medical home (PCMH) offers opportunities for psychologists to play leadership roles. Widespread practice transition to PCMH models of care are expected to substantially impact the psychology workforce. Conservative estimates suggest that approximately 90% of the 93,000 clinically trained psychologists would be required to meet projected need in these settings. This has implications for how health service psychologists are trained. In addition to relevant clinical competencies, they must be versed in system/program development, administration, evaluation, quality improvement, and interprofessional collaboration. Herein, the need to introduce psychologists to the many potential roles in the PCMH is underscored. Inherent to effective work in the PCMH is the synthesis of professional competences in addition to those traditionally included in psychology training. We offer a competency-based PCMH training framework adapted from levels of intensity in the Education and Training Guidelines: A taxonomy for education and training in professional psychology health service specialties (American Psychological Association, 2012). Practical examples of training activities, taking into account available programmatic resources, also are presented. (PsycINFO Database Record