A preliminary report on innovative group therapy in an oncology in-patient department: A patient-family-staff community meeting

Objective: The Community Meeting (CM) is a unique form of group therapy applied from Psychiatry to an Oncology in-patient department. It is designed to answer the needs of in-patients and family members for open communication and empathic interaction and to serve as a model for effective coping. Methods: A weekly staff-patient-family open group was held, with facilitation based on an integrative crisis intervention model. After each CM, the staff meets to discuss implications. Results: Frequent themes include patient and caregiver concerns about cancer, treatments, communication and coping difficulties. Subjective impressions of participants indicate positive outcomes. The CM seems to enhance positive interactions and perceived quality of care. It helps staff to identify distress, serves as a managerial tool and promotes collaboration among staff. Conclusions: The CM is a unique method for addressing the burdens of in-patient oncology members. A structured study is needed to substantiate these descriptive outcomes.