Article Correctness Is Author's Responsibility: Implementing screening with the Psychosocial Assessment Tool (PAT) in clinical oncology practice.

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Implementing evidence-based approaches to assessment and screening in pediatric psychology practice is important to bridge gaps in clinical care. Identifying specific implementation strategies that result in successful uptake of evidence-based approaches, such as the Psychosocial Assessment Tool (PAT), is necessary. Twelve pediatric cancer programs in three states in the Southeastern United States participated in a 1-day implementation workshop and follow-up group implementation consultation calls to implement the Psychosocial Assessment Tool (PAT), in English and Spanish, in their settings. Participants from these programs completed pre and post implementation questionnaires about their use of the PAT and identified benefits (facilitators) and challenges (barriers) of implementation at the family, provider and institutional levels. Nine of 12 programs (75%) successfully implemented the PAT, with half using both English and Spanish versions. The PAT was administered primarily by social workers and psychologists within the first month after diagnosis. The PAT was viewed as helpful to clinical oncology practice. Prior to the workshop, most participants were very positive about implementation and noted few challenges. Although the benefits of screening with the PAT were maintained through the implementation process, challenges related to staffing and integration of the results in the electronic health record were noted. A 1-day workshop with follow-up consultation calls to support implementation of an evidence-based approach in pediatric cancer was found to be feasible and acceptable. All participants rated the workshop very positively and recommended it. Applications of implementation science to pediatric psychology interventions are promising to advance care. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved)