A Person-Centered Virtual Tumor Board for Cancer Patients with Serious Mental Illness
This clinical trial tests the usefulness of a person-centered virtual tumor board for cancer patients with serious mental illness. Individuals with serious mental illness experience increased cancer mortality because of inequities in cancer care. Access to integrated mental health and cancer care remains inadequate. New models are needed to increase capacity to provide person-centered cancer care, particularly for adults with mental illness and cancer, that is focused on a patient’s goals and integrates cancer and mental health care. Better communication between the patient, the oncology team, and mental health providers may improve care. As for all patients, it is important for people with mental illness to have access to high quality cancer treatment that is patient-centered and coordinated. A tumor board is a multidisciplinary approach to care in which providers from different specialties come together to review and discuss patient care options. Having access to a virtual cancer and mental health tumor board may help patients to receive needed cancer and mental health care and may also support clinicians in developing expertise to care for other patients.