WCCS/EADO 2016 | The role of clinical psychologists and therapists in patient care

Eva Lehner-Baumgartner, PhD of Vienna General Hospital, Vienna, Austria, speaks about the role of clinical psychologists and therapists in patient care at the 2016 World Congress on Cancers of the Skin (WCCS) and the Congress of the European Association of Dermato-Oncology (EADO) in Vienna, Austria. Dr Lehner-Baumgartner provides the example of how it can be difficult for a patient to believe that a treatment is making them better when it is actually making them feel worse than they did before the treatment. This is when clinical psychologists and therapists can help by explaining such issues to patients and teaching them coping strategies. Introducing coping strategies to patients early on in their disease is beneficial for the patient in handling their illness. Dr Lehner-Baumgartner believes it is important for clinical psychologist and therapists to cooperate with physicians so that when a patient is confronted with their diagnosis, they can give support to not only the patient but also the physician.