| Abstract: |
(from the chapter) Psychosocial assessment is integral to oncology clinical care and research. Assessment may provide diagnostic data; inform treatment; describe patient outcomes; aid in the development, implementation, and dissemination of research protocols; and/or bolster the conceptualization and refinement of theoretical models. Ultimately, the foundation of psychosocial assessment rests on the use of psychometrically sound instruments. This chapter describes a biobehavioral model of cancer stress and disease course for a comprehensive illustration of areas for assessment, delineate cancer-specific considerations for assessment of the oncology patient, and provide an updated review of relevant assessment tools with acceptable psychometric properties (defined herein). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved). |
