Enhancing psychosocial care for people with cancer in rural communities: what can remote counselling offer?

Abstract

Rural cancer patients are often disadvantaged in access to psychological services. We reviewed remote counselling research for psychological support using telephone, videoconferencing, and the Internet as a potential solution. Telephone counselling is the most extensively researched, while there are encouraging findings in emerging research about videoconferencing and Internetbased psychological care. Where no face-to-face psychological service exists, these technologies are promising, yet unproven. Less variable methods are needed to better assess the technology and therapeutic approach for stronger evidence.