The ASCO Post: Distress Screening: ‘Underestimated and Overlooked’ by Cancer Specialists

Dr. Savanah Geske, an oncology clinical psychologist with Saint Luke's Cancer Institute, recently wrote about how a "distress thermometer" has been integrated into a cancer patients overall treatment, follow-up and experience in order to best treat the patient as a whole. This can be an integral part of the patients treatment and healing process. Dr. Geske talks about how Saint Luke’s Cancer Institute and The Koontz Center for Advanced Breast Cancer has integrated the "distress thermometer" into the patients visits and file to help guide patients to more timely supportive oncology and rehabilitative services.

“Screening for psychosocial distress is now mandated, but there’s little research to suggest how we could be using these distress ratings to encourage referrals to support services,” explained Dr. Geske. “So in 2016, we initiated our own distress thermometer and tracking system.”

Read The ASCO Posts article, "Distress Screening: ‘Underestimated and Overlooked’ by Cancer Specialists," to find out more about how this works and benefits not only the patients but the whole team treating them.