Poster Presentation 2025 Joint Meeting of the COSA ASM and IPOS Congress

   Minds Matter in Melanoma Care: Protocol for a Clinical Psychology Service Evaluation (126267)

Claire Gore 1 2 , Lisa Gomes 1 2 , Jake Thompson 1 2 , Robyn Saw 1 3 , Lucille Foster 1 , Ingrid Kivikoski 4 , Iris Bartula 2 , Skye Dong 1
  1. Melanoma Institute Australia, Wollstonecraft, NSW, Australia
  2. Faculty of Health and Medicine, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
  3. Department of Melanoma and Surgical Oncology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
  4. Consumer Representative, Sydney, NSW, Australia

Background

People with melanoma experience high rates of distress, depression and anxiety. While clinical practice guidelines recommend that psychological interventions be made available to all melanoma patients, access is impeded by staff availability and expertise, service cost, stigma and patients’ competing demands. To address these barriers to psychosocial support, the Melanoma Institute Australia (MIA) developed an integrated psycho-oncology service under the pillar of clinical care.  

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of, and consumer satisfaction with, MIA’s Clinical Psychology Service (CPS).

Methods

Established in August 2021, the MIA CPS is philanthropically funded, staffed by two clinical psychologists, and available to MIA patients free of charge, three days per week. All people engaging in a course of therapy at the CPS will be invited to participate in the study during the 12-month recruitment period. Based on the anticipated participation rate of 80%, we expect to have a sample size of 80.

This study has a mixed-methods longitudinal design. Standardised measures of distress, depression, anxiety, stress, quality of life, and coping/self-efficacy will be used as psychosocial outcomes. Quantitative data will be collected via surveys at baseline, post-treatment and at three-month follow up. Service satisfaction will be assessed using a purpose-developed Client Satisfaction Survey. Service parameters data will be accessed from the clinical file by the treating psychologist

Results

Since its inception, the MIA CPS has received 487 referrals and provided 1016 psychotherapy sessions. Most referrals come from Medical Oncology and are for patients with advanced melanoma (Stage III-IV), and high levels of distress. On this poster, the protocol for the Service Evaluation Study will be presented.

Conclusion

Service evaluation data is lacking in the melanoma context, and these findings will be used to improve Clinical Psychology service delivery at MIA and inform other psycho-oncology services that are being developed.