Pediatric psycho‐oncology care: standards, guidelines, and consensus reports

AbstractObjectiveThe aim of this study was to identify existing guidelines, standards, or consensus‐based reports for psychosocial care of children with cancer and their families.PurposePsychosocial standards of care for children with cancer can systematize the approach to care and create a replicable model that can be utilized in pediatric hospitals around the world. Determining gaps in existing standards in pediatric psycho‐oncology can guide development of useful evidence‐based and consensus‐based standards.MethodsThe MEDLINE and PubMed databases were searched by investigators at two major pediatric oncology centers for existing guidelines, consensus‐based reports, or standards for psychosocial care of patients with pediatric cancer and their families published in peer‐reviewed journals in English between 1980 and 2013.ResultsWe located 27 articles about psychosocial care that met inclusion criteria: 5 set forth standards, 19 were guidelines, and 3 were consensus‐based reports. None was sufficiently up to date, comprehensive, specific enough, or evidence‐ or consensus‐based to serve as a current standard for psychosocial care for children with cancer and their families.Conclusio