Benchmarks for Psychosocial Staffing in Pediatric Oncology: Implementing the Standards Together-Engaging Parents and Providers in Psychosocial Care (iSTEPPP) Study

BACKGROUND: The Standards for the Psychosocial Care of Children with Cancer and their Families (the Standards) support the provision of evidence-based psychosocial care across the pediatric cancer trajectory by specialized multidisciplinary staff. This paper presents data from the Implementing the Standards Together: Engaging Parents and Providers in Psychosocial care (iSTEPPP) study on the number and type of psychosocial staff at pediatric oncology programs in the United States in 2023, 8 years after the publication of the Standards.

PROCEDURE: Up to two healthcare professionals from pediatric cancer programs in the United States participated in an online survey. The number and type of psychosocial staff are reported and compared with data from a similar 2016 survey. Challenges in delivering psychosocial care and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on staffing are also reported.

RESULTS: Participants were clinical leaders from 129 pediatric oncology programs (73 medical and 109 psychosocial providers). Social workers are present in 97.2% of programs and child life specialists in 92.5%. Psychologists (69.2%), neuropsychologists (39.3%), and psychiatrists (15.0%) are less common. There has been some increase in the percentage of programs reporting social workers, psychologists, neuropsychologists, and psychiatrists and in the mean number of psychosocial staff since the Standards were published. Challenges in psychosocial staff are related to funding and are consistent with 2016 data.

CONCLUSION: Although most participating pediatric oncology programs have psychosocial staff, many sites continue to lack the size and breadth of multidisciplinary teams needed to implement the Standards.