Evidence-Based Practice in Psychosocial Oncology from the Perspective of Canadian Service Directors

Evidence-based practices facilitate the effective delivery of psychological services, yet research on the implementation of evidence-based practices in psychosocial oncology (PSO) is scarce. Responding to this gap, we interviewed a diverse sample of 16 directors of Canadian psychosocial oncology services about (a) how evidence-based practices in psychosocial oncology are being implemented in clinical care and how the service quality is monitored and (b) what are barriers and facilitators to evidence-based practice in psychosocial oncology services? Responses were grouped according to three main themes emerging from the data: screening for distress and referral to PSO services, delivery of evidence-based PSO services, and monitoring of PSO services. Our findings highlight facilitators and barriers to evidence-based practice in psychosocial oncology, which were related to the political, social, economic, and geographic contexts. The stepped care model was identified as a science-informed approach to improve the cost-effectiveness of triage systems and treatment delivery while facilitating more equitable access to services. Other facilitators included electronic screening and referral