ABSTRACT

There are over one million people in Australia who are either living with or have lived with cancer, and approximately 145,000 new cancer cases are expected this year (AIHW, 2019). Oncology social workers are essential members of the health care team in meeting the needs of cancer patients and their families; however, the training and specialisation of social work professionals in the field of oncology is less developed in Australia compared to other western countries. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to examine the strategies implemented in the USA to develop and train oncology social workers and to assess the utility of these strategies in the Australian context. This paper will address the current state of oncology social work in both the USA and Australia, educational models of training oncology social workers, and the research capacity of oncology social workers. The feasibility of adapting some of these key strategies for training oncology social workers in the Australian context will be discussed.

• IMPLICATIONS

• It is essential to train skilled oncology social workers to be recognised as key providers of psychosocial care to cancer patients and their families via credentialing or certification.

• Developing an oncology social work research base is essential for both oncology social workers as well as cancer patients and their families.

• The strategic alliance and support of the key national cancer bodies (e.g., Clinical Oncology Society of Australia, Cancer Council Australia, and Cancer Australia) are crucial to the formal recognition and support of oncology social workers.

摘要

澳大利亚有超过 100 万人患有或曾经患有癌症，预计今年将新增约 145,000 例癌症病例（AIHW，2019 年）。肿瘤社会工作者是满足癌症患者及其家人需求的医疗团队的重要成员；然而，与其他西方国家相比，澳大利亚在肿瘤学领域的社会工作专业人员的培训和专业化程度较低。因此，本文的目的是检查美国实施的发展和培训肿瘤社会工作者的策略，并评估这些策略在澳大利亚背景下的效用。本文将探讨美国和澳大利亚肿瘤社会工作的现状，培训肿瘤社会工作者的教育模式，以及肿瘤社会工作者的研究能力。将讨论在澳大利亚背景下采用其中一些关键策略来培训肿瘤学社会工作者的可行性。

• 影响

• 必须培训熟练的肿瘤学社会工作者，使其成为通过资格认证或认证为癌症患者及其家人提供社会心理护理的主要提供者。

• 发展肿瘤社会工作研究基地对于肿瘤社会工作者以及癌症患者及其家属都至关重要。

• 主要国家癌症机构（例如，澳大利亚临床肿瘤学会、澳大利亚癌症委员会和澳大利亚癌症协会）的战略联盟和支持对于肿瘤社会工作者的正式认可和支持至关重要。