Date: Jan 10, 2012 Source: (
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Langhorne, PA (January 10, 2012)- Polaris Health Directions is pleased to announce that the American College of Surgeons (ACoS) has listed the Polaris Oncology Distress Management System in its Best Practices Repository.
The repository, compiled by ACoS's Commission on Cancer, identifies tools and resources that can best help cancer programs meet ACoS's 2012 standards for accreditation. Polaris Oncology was selected for its ability to support oncologists with screening, referral to treatment and monitoring for psychosocial distress among cancer patients, a vital addition to the new standards.
When mental health conditions among cancer patients remain unaddressed, they can have a negative impact on treatment planning and engagement, increase suffering and diminish quality of life.
Polaris Oncology, developed with funding from the National Institute for Mental Health, is a Web-based solution to identify and help address psychosocial distress in cancer patients. Along with screening for depression and other mental health symptomology, Polaris Oncology assesses risky drinking and smoking; cancer-related physical symptoms and side effects; and adherence to the medical regimen and lifestyle change recommendations. The tailored, motivational patient reports and automated referrals increase the likelihood that cancer patients will be linked to the psychosocial resources and treatment they may need.
Polaris Oncology was normed for a cancer population, and was designed to ease, not add to, the high demands clinicians face when managing cancer patients. The system is flexible, can be easily integrated into existing clinical workflows and includes an industry-standard HL-7 interface for communicating with electronic health record systems. Polaris Oncology, in harmony with the 2012 ACoS distress management standards, can help ensure that patients are active participants in their health care, have the support they need to manage their illness and ultimately realize better outcomes.
