U-CARE : a research program on psychosocial care via the internet

• U-CARE is one of the Swedish government’s strategic research programs atUppsala University. The overarching goal is to promote psychosocial healthamong patients suffering from somatic disease and their significant others by means of self-help programs delivered via an internet platform. Another goal is to reduce costs for individuals and the society caused by emotional distress in response to somatic disease. Professionals within clinical psychology, health economics, and information systems collaborate to reach this goal.Approximately 20% of patients suffering from somatic disease as well as theirsignificant others experience a clinically relevant level of emotional distress in response to disease and treatment. This is in itself alerting, but becomes even moreproblematic since physicians and nurses show low sensitivity and specificityin detecting patients and significant others experiencing a clinically relevant level of distress. This can result in persistent distress causing human suffering as well as costs for individuals and the society.During 2010-2011 an internet platform: www.u-care.se to provide interactive support and cognitive behavioral therapy has been constructed within the U-CARE program. The platform supports, among other things, rule-based unfolding of self-help material for participants, interaction between participants and therapists, interaction within a participant community, and research including a detailed log of participants’ behaviors on the platform. In addition self-help programs of interactive support and cognitive behavioural therapy for adolescents with cancer: U-CARE: TeenCan, adults with cancer: U-CARE: AdultsCan, and adults having had a myocardial infarct: U-CARE: Heart to be provided via www.u-care.se have been constructed.Through a multi-disciplinary and design-oriented approach, the U-CARE program aims at developing new evidence-based knowledge in basic and applied psychosocial health care,and actively promoting its implementation in health care practice as well as in undergraduate and advanced education.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Psykologi -- Tillämpad psykologi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Psychology -- Applied Psychology (hsv//eng)

Publikations- och innehållstyp

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