Developing Health Professional’s Capabilities in the Provision of Psychosexual Care — ASN Events

Developing Health Professional’s Capabilities in the Provision of Psychosexual Care (#115)

Patsy Yates 1
  1. Queensland University of Technology , Kelvin Grove, QLD, Australia

Sexual concerns are frequently experienced by people affected by cancer, yet health professionals vary in the extent to which they are confident in dealing with these issues. The psychosexual care of women affected by gynaecological cancers (PSGC) project, funded by Cancer Australia, has defined a needs based framework to enable service providers to define the type and level of care required by patients experiencing psychosexual concerns.  The framework was used to determine the specific areas of knowledge and skills required of health professionals to provide psychosexual care, and to inform the development of an on-line learning resource to develop required capabilities in this field. The modules incorporate interactive learning activities and video vignettes to provide authentic learning materials based around the experiences of women treated for gynaecological cancers. The modules also promote critical reflection on personal attitudes and beliefs regarding psychosexual care. Supporting resources, including psychosexual assessment and referral tools as well as information about psychosexual support, are included throughout.  Given the adverse impact of psychosexual concerns on an individual’s quality of life, innovative and accessible approaches to developing health professional capabilities in this area of practice are required.