ArticleSupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2018
Assessing the utility of a distress screening tool at capturing sexual concerns in a gyne-oncology follow-up clinic.
Article in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed, 7 citations in OpenAlex.
- Use of a Checkbox Format for Electronic Remote Symptom Monitoring After Surgery.JCO oncology practice · 2026Article
- Designing and Validating a Comprehensive Patient-Reported Outcomes Measure for Ambulatory Cancer Settings: The Revised Edmonton Symptom Assessment System for Cancer.JCO oncology practice · 2024Article
- Quality improvement in sexual health care for oncology patients: a Canadian multidisciplinary clinic experience.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2020Article
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Authors and funding
3 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeCommunication and assessment of sexual health within cancer care is poor despite high rates of sexual dysfunction in cancer survivors. Screening for distress programs have been implemented, as a standardized part of cancer care across Canada, with the aim of increasing identification and improving access to support. Alberta Health Services uses a general distress screening form, containing the Canadian Problem Checklist, which includes a list of possible problems, one of which is "intimacy/sexuality." Theoretically, the discreet nature of the screening for distress form may reduce patient discomfort in disclosing sexual concerns verbally, and therefore help health care providers identify patients requiring intervention. This study aims to determine the adequacy of this distress screening tool in identifying gynecological cancer patients who have an intimacy/sexuality concern.
methodsA chart review was conducted on all follow-up visits in a gyne-oncology clinic over 1 year. Each patient's chart was reviewed to determine the prevalence of the distress screening form completion, prevalence of the "intimacy/sexuality" item being checked, and documentation of actions taken to address any reported intimacy/sexuality problems.
resultsSeven hundred thirty patient visits were recorded during this period with completed distress screening forms found on 79.0% (n = 577) of charts. Only 6% of the patients indicated an intimacy/sexuality concern on this form. Of those, only one third had documentation that their problem was addressed.
conclusionsThese results call into question the utility of the intimacy/sexuality item on the Canadian Problem Checklist to identify gynecological cancer patients who have sexual concerns. Furthermore, even among those patients who indicated concerns, there is evidence that their problems are rarely addressed. Providers need to directly inquire with patients about their sexual health.
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