黑料吃瓜群网

Health professionals should be better equipped to address the psychosexual needs of gynaecological cancer patients, according to research to be presented at an international cancer conference today (14/11).

Professor Patsy Yates, head of Queensland University of Technology鈥檚 school of nursing, will discuss a ground-breaking framework for managing psychosexual care needs at the Clinical Oncology Society of Australia鈥檚 (COSA鈥檚) Annual Scientific Meeting today (14 November).

鈥淲hen people deal with a life-threatening illness, it can be easy for health professionals and the patient to overlook the importance of psychosexual health,鈥� Professor Yates said. 鈥淭his is particularly important in gynaecological cancer treatment and care.

鈥淥ur framework aims to assist healthcare professionals to evaluate their patients鈥� psychosexual care needs and providing appropriate support. It also encourages healthcare professionals to gain a better understanding of how psychosexual health can affect a patient鈥檚 overall wellbeing.鈥�

Professor Yates said attitudes on psychosexual care varied among health professionals and patients, so it was important to provide education and support in a range of formats.

鈥淥ne thing is clear,鈥� she said. 鈥淧atients with gynaecological cancer can experience adverse effects if their psychosexual care needs are ignored. So the training and support modules include learning materials in print, video and online formats, based on the authentic experiences of women living with gynaecological cancer.

鈥淯ltimately, we are doing more than treating a disease 鈥� we are caring for an individual. Psychosexual support is an important part of an individual care plan and, with our modules, we are trying to give professionals the confidence to do more in that area.鈥�

COSA President, Associate Professor Sandro Porceddu, said physicians were largely focused on treatment and disease management, and this meant issues like psychosexual care could sometimes be neglected.

鈥淭his is an important facet of patient care and the new framework will assist practitioners to more readily recognise pyschosexual issues and gain competency in supporting their patients鈥� needs.鈥�

The framework is funded by Cancer Australia, the Federal Government鈥檚 cancer control agency