Purpose: Regardless of the seriousness of cancer at diagnosis, psychosocial factors can influence the treatment a veteran will opt for and how compliant the veteran will be when it comes to following the recommended treatment. This presentation underscores the need for collaboration between social workers and medical professionals, as well as what can be accomplished when medicine and social work interface to improve treatment outcomes for veterans with cancer. It is noteworthy that some veterans with cancer choose to delay or forgo treatment despite the availability of free cancer treatment from the VA. This indicates that treating a veteran with cancer is more than just treating the illness, and the decision to get treated does not hinge solely on the medical merit of the treatment, but also on psychosocial factors.
Methods: To determine how psychosocial aspects influence treatment decisions, several cases were selected based on their relevance to the subject matter and the researcher’s involvement and knowledge of what transpired in the case. These cases were reviewed to highlight the importance of acknowledging the presence of, identifying, and addressing the psychosocial factors that impinge on the veteran’s ability and willingness to receive recommended cancer treatment. It was found that the timing of the social worker’s involvement and the involvement of both the medical professionals and the social workers in the continuum of care during and after the diagnoses and treatment were equally important. The results of the case reviews indicated that whether or not the veteran decides in favor of or against the recommended cancer treatment, the decision is strongly influenced by considerations such as living situation, transportation needs, employment, financial status, religious beliefs, readiness and willingness to undergo treatment, personal interpretations of the meaning and relevance of the recommended treatment, social support system, and trust in the doctor and the recommendation of the doctor. The ability to set up practical arrangements necessary to be able to get to and from the treatment location is also an important psychosocial factor to consider. The more psychosocial concerns there are to deal with, the more likely it is that these factors will negatively impact a decision to get cancer treatment.
Results: The results of the review show that social workers can help identify and resolve these psychosocial factors. By engaging patients actively, early in the diagnoses and treatment process, any potential disruption or delay in the treatment of veterans who have cancer can be reduced, eliminated, or prevented. The results also show that the myriad psychosocial concerns of veterans who have cancer are resolved sooner and better when doctors and social workers collaborate.
Conclusions: In order for patients to manage psychosocial concerns and get treated for their cancer, a collaborative stance between the oncologist and the social worker is required.