IPOS News

The first IPOS Academy in Armenia!

Considerable progress has been made in the field of palliative care (PC) in Armenia in the last eight years. However, a number of problems remain unresolved. Policy work has included the implementation of national needs assessment and the approval of the National Concept on PC. PC has been included in the list of specialized medical aid and services, national standards have been introduced and the social assistance package has been approved. In addition, the Government of Armenia has approved the National Strategy on Palliative Care for Adults and the 2017-2019 Action Plan. Extensive efforts have been carried out to make pain medication available. In November 2017, the government removed the difficult procedures hindering access to opioid pain medications and new regulations in pain management were approved.

With new regulations, new approaches are needed in practice. To address this need, the Armenian Psycho-Oncology Association, with the support of Open Society Foundations-Armenia, is organizing the two-day interdisciplinary conference “Pain Management In Palliative Care: Applying Sector Reforms in Armenia” on June 7-8, 2019.

The conference will aim to enhance awareness and capacity in pain management among medical and psychosocial staff, civil society organizations, government representatives and the general public. The conference program will place great emphasis on mental health and its role in the process of pain management. For the first time in Armenia, the method of the Motivational Interviewing will be presented during the conference in the framework of a full-day workshop provided by Dr. Rachel Green (Vice-President, AFDEM (l'Association francophone de la diffusion de l'entretien motivationnel)) and Dr. Melissa Henry (Assistant Professor, McGill University, Director, Psychosocial Oncology Research Group Jewish General Hospital.).  

The conference is organized with the co-sponsorship of the International Psycho-Oncology Society and Worldwide Hospice and Palliative Care Alliance and holds the status of the first IPOS Academy in Armenia.

For more information please visit www.apoa.am

The Journal of Psychosocial Oncology Research & Practice (JPORP) became the official journal of the International Psycho-Oncology Society (IPOS) earlier this year. Published by Wolters Kluwer, this open access journal focuses on the growing body of research in the field of psychosocial oncology. The journal will be publishing articles reporting on clinical research examining psychosocial and behavioral interventions in oncology settings, research on the implementation of psychosocial and behavioral interventions in routine clinical practice and their impact on outcomes, with a focus on global psycho-oncology.

With the launch of JPORP (which will publish its first issue in July 2019), IPOS has ended its relationship with Wiley, the publisher of the Psycho Oncology Journal (PONJ). IPOS is appreciative of the work done by Wiley and the Editorial Board in publishing Psycho Oncology.

The move to an open access journal format is relevant, timely and responsive to the global needs of the membership. In examining journal platforms and partners, the Board carefully considered the needs of our growing membership, which is now at an all-time record high with members from more than 75 countries.
 
There has been a global move towards open science to address lack of accessibility, which disproportionally affects users in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). Traditionally published papers are only accessible to those with access to academic institutional or individual subscriptions. This typically leaves academics in LMICs and other stakeholders such as patients and caregivers, policy makers, NGOs and advocacy organizations without access to over 75% of the academic literature. Recognizing the need for better publication models, open-access publishing has gained acceptance and momentum. Many funding agencies world-wide, mainstream respected publishers and journals are offering open access and researchers are benefiting from increased rates of downloads and citations for their work. The one major downside to open access publishing for researchers are Article Processing Charges (APCs) that authors must pay at the time of publication to support open access.
 
With that in mind, working with Wolters Kluwer, IPOS sought to address barriers associated with APCs.  JPORP is an online-only journal so we do not have extra production costs associated with printing and distribution, so our APCs are much lower than those of print journals. For example, APCs for traditional print journals (when an open access option exists) are usually in the $3,000-5,000 USD range. This amount can be prohibitive for many authors. Our charges will range from $400-$1,000 USD, depending on the type of article, with further discounted rates for IPOS members.
 
Additionally, IPOS has built discretion into the agreement with our publisher, such that we have the opportunity to waive APCs for special papers; for example: IPOS commissioned works such as summary papers from Award winners’, plenary talks at the World Congress and position papers from IPOS committees or special interest groups. We have also set aside APC waivers for the first 12 unsolicited papers to be accepted in the new journal, of which several still remain. We believe these provisions will decrease barriers to publication associated with APCs and will improve the reach and influence of the work we publish.

Our co-editors Dr. Linda Carlson and Dr. Brian Kelly have been working diligently since January with our associate editors Dr. Bill Breitbart (US), Dr. Gail Garvey (AU), Dr. Nick Hulbert-Williams (UK), Dr. Yosuke Uchitomi (JP) and Dr. Claire Wakefield (AU), all who are looking forward to the first issue of the Journal of Psychosocial Oncology Research & Practice (JPORP) this July.

To learn more about the Journal of Psychosocial Oncology Research & Practice, please visit About the Journal. The Journal is open for submissions; please click here to submit your paper. To learn more about submitting articles, please visit the Instructions to Authors. 

The strength of the health workers in psychosocial management of cancer

Access by going to https://ipos-society.org/federation/turkey/

Psychosocial support is of great importance in the diagnosis, treatment and ease the difficult follow-up processes of cancer patients. However, it is not easy to form a well-structured psychosocial support study for this group of diseases and in different age, gender and sociocultural groups. A psychosocial support that is close to perfection is only possible with the participation of all health workers in the context of volunteering and the correct management and appreciation of their wishes and efforts.

The health care professional who volunteers to give such support needs some academic and technical information. For example, one needs to be informed about changing communication patterns in different stages and processes of patients or psychosocial approaches that vary according to culture and similar belonging groups. Most importantly, the health care workers need to cope with the psychosocial strain of the patients while they have the necessary information and equipment to protect their mental health, such as compassion fatigue.

This booklet has been prepared with the aim of increasing the knowledge and equipment of the health care workers who are struggling with this difficult population and thus reducing their difficulties and being more supportive to their patients.

Not only the well-known, frequently repeated and quoted information included in the preparation of this booklet, but also the experience of the psychooncology association experts. Particularly Ozan Bahcivan’s international experiences who is one of the directors of International Psycho-Oncology Society (IPOS), and health psychologist from Özel Oz Psikoloji Aile Danışma Merkezi (Oz Psychology Family Counselling Centre) in Izmir, and two valuable healthcare workers from the Department of Paediatric Haematology and Oncology Dr Başak Adaklı Aksoy, and Chemotherapy Nurse Nermin Albayrak's valuable experiences were also included.

IPOS is now accepting nominations from active members to be on the Board of Directors. Individuals with a current “Active” membership from across the globe are encouraged to submit nominations for the volunteer Board positions noted below. Individuals with an “Early Career” membership are encouraged to submit for the Early Career Director position.

The following positions are open for nomination:

1. One Vice President position
2. One Secretary position
3. One Treasurer position
4. Seven individual Director positions:
   

Important items to note about the positions open for nomination:

• To seek nomination for the office of Vice President, Secretary or Treasurer, the member must have served, at some point in time, a minimum of one term on the IPOS Board of Directors.
• For individuals considering submitting for Vice President, please note the succession pattern shall be such that an individual so elected shall serve one term as Vice-President, one term as President and one term as Past President, for a total of six successive years.
• A Director can serve in the role of Secretary or Treasurer for a maximum of two terms after which they must be elected to the role of Vice President to remain on the Board.
• For the Early Career Position, individuals can only hold this position for one term of two years. For those submitting a nomination for this position, the individual must have an “Early Career” type of membership with IPOS.

Important Nomination and Election Timelines:

• Release of call for nominations: March 18, 2019
• Nomination Deadline – May 15, 2019
• Ballots to be issued to all voting members – June 17, 2019
• Voting Closes – August 15, 2019

Helpful Links:

• Constitution: https://ipos-society.org/resources/IPOSConstition2017.pdf
• Types and description of memberships with IPOS: https://ipos-society.org/membership/classifications
• 2019-2021 Board Nomination Form
• 2019-2021 Board Nominator Form

Completed nominations are to be sent to IPOS by email to info@ipos-society.org by May 15, 2019.

Nominations must include the following:

1. For the Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer or six Director positions: One completed nomination form & nominator form from an IPOS member that holds an “ACTIVE membership” type. Note, nominator forms from Associate, Early Career Members or Members-in-Training are not acceptable for these positions.
2. For the Early Career Director position: One completed nomination form from an IPOS member that holds an “EARLY CAREER membership” are acceptable. One completed nominator form an IPOS member that holds an “ACTIVE membership” type.
3. In a single document (Word file please) your Election Candidate Summary (to be used in the election packaged shared with voting members). This summary should include the following:

• Name and suffix, credentials, current employment position, employer name, city, prov/state, country.
• Point form highlights of your experience with IPOS.
• Current picture.
• Current Biography - brief 100 to 200 words maximum.
• Candidate Statement - outline of why you want to serve on the IPOS board and your election platform. 100 to 300 words maximum.

POSITION DESCRIPTIONS:

Vice President (President- Elect):

The Vice President is the President Elect. This position involves a six-year commitment to the IPOS Board of Directors and Executive Committee. The succession pattern shall be such that an individual so elected shall serve one term as Vice President, one term as President and one term as Past President, for a total of six successive years. To seek nomination for the office of Vice President the member must have served, at some point in time, a minimum of one term on the Board of Directors.

Secretary:

This position is for a two-year term on the Board of Directors and on the Executive Committee. IPOS employs a management company to handle everyday secretarial and compliance reporting. The Secretary also works with the management company to ensure records are maintained in compliance with regulatory requirements. To seek nomination for the office of Secretary the member must have  served, at some point in time, a minimum of one term on the Board of Directors.

Six Individual Directors:

Each position is for a two-year term on the Board of Directors. Directors shall reflect an international and multidisciplinary composition and function as the governing body of the Society. The primary responsibility of the Directors shall be to establish the policies of the Society. The Directors shall also monitor the activities of the Society to ensure compliance with, and progress toward the achievement of, those policies. The IPOS Constitution allows the Board to work towards ensuring appropriate geographical representation.

One Early Career Director:

This position is for a two-year term on the Board of Directors and can only be held by a Early Career member. The Early Career Director role is to ensure the interests of career professional’s interest are advanced. In the event that during their elected term, they transition to Active Member status, as per Article III Section 5 of this bylaw, they shall continue to complete the remainder of their elected term. No one member shall hold the position of Early Career Director for more than one term.

Meetings/Operations/Expectations:

1. The primary language IPOS operates in is English.
2. The Board of Directors meet at a minimum every six months with all Directors expected to participate. Meeting are held via Google hangouts, with at least one meeting being in person. IPOS does not reimburse costs for attending or participating in meetings.
3. The Executive Committee meets as the need arises via Google hangouts.
4. Both the Board of Directors and Executive Committee are expected to closely monitor the activities of the Society and provide support as needed.
5. Elected individuals will strongly be encouraged to attend in person a Board meeting in conjunction with the 2019 World Congress in Banff.
6. All Board of Directors and Executive Committee members are expected to volunteer on a minimum of one IPOS committee (https://www.ipos-society.org/about/sigs)
7. Familiarity with the Society’s Constitution and Organization Structure is required: https://www.ipos-society.org/about/organization
8. The IPOS Board is considered a “working” Board, which requires directors to take on responsibilities beyond board meetings. This may include, but not limited to, supporting committee initiatives, working on agreed upon special projects, special initiatives and outreach to other organizations to further the IPOS mandate.

Questions/Comments? Please direct them to info@ipos-society.org

February 4, 2019 – Wolters Kluwer, Health announced today that the Journal of Psychosocial Oncology Research & Practice, the newest journal of the International Psycho-Oncology Society (IPOS), will be published under the Lippincott portfolio.

The Journal of Psychosocial Oncology Research & Practice is an open access journal focused on the growing body of research in the field of psychosocial oncology. The journal publishes articles reporting on clinical research examining psychosocial and behavioral interventions in oncology settings, research on the implementation of psychosocial and behavioral interventions in routine clinical practice and their impact on outcomes.

“Building on the growing strength of research in the field of psycho-oncology internationally, this exciting, new, open-access journal aims to promote dissemination of the highest quality up-to-date research relevant to improving clinical practice in cancer care globally,” says Brian Kelly, Co-Editor-in-Chief. “This could be a game changer in accelerating the rate of dissemination and uptake of new and innovative psychosocial interventions relevant to a global audience,” adds Linda Carlson, Co-Editor-in-Chief. 

The Journal of Psychosocial Oncology Research and Practice will include reports on pragmatic clinical trials, qualitative research, systematic reviews, survivorship research and care, psychosocial oncology research and practice in developing countries, innovative research methods and research into global and regional health disparities as they relate to psychosocial oncology care and services. 

“The Journal of Psychosocial Oncology Research & Practice is an essential resource for disseminating updated and multidisciplinary clinical practice and research in psycho-oncology,” said Maria Die Trill, IPOS President. “Easier access to clinical research publications through open-access papers will provide professionals in developing countries with a significant source of knowledge where accessing subscription-based journals is often difficult.  Together with Wolters Kluwer, the journal´s experienced co-editors, and our international editorial board we will assure continued excellence.”

The journal is now open for manuscript submissions. For more information visit: https://www.editorialmanager.com/jporp/default.aspx.

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About the International Psycho-Oncology Society (IPOS)

Founded in 1984, the IPOS was created to foster international multidisciplinary communication about clinical, educational and research issues that relate to the subspecialty of psycho-oncology and two primary psychosocial dimensions of cancer:

• Response of patients, families and staff to cancer and its treatment at all stages
• Psychological, social and behavioral factors that influence tumor progression and survival

With members in almost 100 countries worldwide, IPOS has established itself as an international voice for psychosocial oncology professionals. For more information about IPOS, find us online at https://ipos-society.org/ and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter @IPOSPsychoOncol.

About Wolters Kluwer

Wolters Kluwer is a global leader in professional information, software solutions, and services for the health, tax & accounting, finance, risk & compliance, and legal sectors. We help our customers make critical decisions every day by providing expert solutions that combine deep domain knowledge with specialized technology and services.

Wolters Kluwer, headquartered in the Netherlands, reported 2017 annual revenues of €4.4 billion. The company serves customers in over 180 countries, maintains operations in over 40 countries, and employs approximately 19,000 people worldwide.

Wolters Kluwer Health is a leading global provider of trusted clinical technology and evidence-based solutions that engage clinicians, patients, researchers and students with advanced clinical decision support, learning and research and clinical intelligence. For more information about our solutions, visit http://healthclarity.wolterskluwer.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter @WKHealth.

The International Psycho-Oncology Society (IPOS) is pleased to be partnering with the Japan Psycho-Oncology Society (JPOS) to host the 2020 World Congress of Psycho-Oncology in Kyoto Japan. The congress dates are June 16 – 19, 2020.

The congress venue is the International Conference Center Kyoto, which is easily accessible by public transit.

The IPOS congress is strategically scheduled with the 2020 Palliative, Supportive, and Psychosocial Care Joint meeting, The 33th Annual meeting of the Japan Psycho-Oncology Society (JPOS), the 25th. Annual meeting of the Japanese Society for Palliative Medicine (JSPM), and the 5th Annual meeting of the Japanese Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (JASCC) all of which are scheduled directly following the IPOS Congress.

Interested attendees are encouraged to start booking hotel accommodation early to ensure you secure accommodation of your choice. The congress is scheduled one month prior to the 2020 summer Olympics in Toyko, Japan. Kyoto has a huge range of hotels to suit all budgets. When booking consider public transit access and cancellation policies.

Wellness House, Chicagoland’s leader in psychosocial support for people living with cancer and their families, is seeking to hire an Executive Director who will join our staff July 1, 2019 and can work alongside our current Chief Executive Officer, who has served the organization since 1990 and will be retiring in December 2019. This 6-month transition period will provide a tremendous opportunity to build relationships with key external stakeholders and assume responsibility for day-to-day operations. The Executive Director will be joining Wellness House as we complete a 2-year plan that has positioned the organization for significant, sustainable growth.

What Wellness House Offers You

In 1990, we started Wellness House with a single mission: Wellness House envisions a community where all people affected by cancer thrive. Offered at no cost, and as a complement to medical treatment, our programs educate, support and empower participants so they will improve their physical and emotional wellbeing. Today, we offer a variety of programs and services — exercise classes, nutrition seminars, support groups, and more — that complement medical care with a whole-person approach to healing. Everything we do is to prepare and empower people to fully live life with cancer and beyond. Our experts, specialists and programs focus on the individual needs of people through every step of cancer – before, during and after treatment. We use a psychosocial approach based on research, addressing the whole person – socially, emotionally, physically, spiritually and psychologically. Our staff team of 27 fulfills the mission, created by our Board of Directors, including 27 members, and together, we live our Principles for Action: Community, Accountability, Quality and Innovation.

What You Offer Us at This Unique Time in Our History

We are seeking an Executive Director to step in at this pivotal time to provide additional capacity and vision as we finalize our next strategic plan that will guide the depth and breadth of our programs, build upon our strong governance, and grow our fundraising and marketing. We are searching for an experienced, selfmotivated and inspiring leader who can work well with a variety of constituencies, including volunteers, donors/grantors, healthcare professionals, business and community leaders, to engage them in the mission of Wellness House and inspire them to participate in our sustainable growth to meet the growing needs of people affected by cancer. This leader will be able to motivate and energize our staff while effectively managing resources in order to positively impact the lives of our participants in the most cost-effective way possible. In particular, we are looking for a leader who is capable of implementing the organization’s strategic plan, which prioritizes community and medical partnerships in order to reach more people affected by cancer in underserved communities. This leader will serve as a knowledgeable, passionate and articulate spokesperson for Wellness House.

Key Performance Criteria and Competencies

The Executive Director is responsible for the implementation of the strategic plan, set by the Board of Directors, and the execution of all day-to-day operations to achieve successful programs to meet the mission and vision of the organization. Relationship building with key external stakeholders at the local and national level is central to sustainability of our activities, including fundraising and oversight of financial management. Strong leadership for the staff includes actively engaging and contributing to a healthy, stimulating, productive work environment where all constituents - participants, staff, volunteers and donors - can “feel better inside.”

This is a full-time position. Evening and weekend work may be required. Wellness House offices are located in Hinsdale, Illinois.

Click here to download the complete job posting.

Click here to find out how you can post a job opening with IPOS.

As a board member, I successfully represented IPOS at the Turkish National Psycho-Oncology Congress held between 14 - 16 November 2018. We had more than 700 delegates including policy makers and governmental authorities. The Turkish society membership increased from 41 members to 132 members and counting. 

We, as the congress organising committee, believe that this congress did make an impact in local agencies settings, and was an eye opener to the many organisations and health centres in Turkey. 

"We sincerely thank IPOS for being the info point when needed, and proud to be endorsed by this Society and hoping to collaborate more with IPOS, said the congress president Prof. Dr Ali Caykoylu."

Video message from IPOS President Maria Die Trill, PhD: 
https://youtu.be/KBDuOMsHgw4

2018 has been a busy year for IPOS. Most of what has been accomplished could not have been done without our many volunteers, committees and special interest groups. Throughout the year, we provide updates on what has been going on. Here is our latest update from IPOS Immediate Past President Luzia Travado.

Throughout 2018, Luzia has represented IPOS and our members across the globe. Below are four key highlights:

1.     Received an invite from the president of the Brazilian Psycho-Oncology Society (SBPO) to participate in the August 2018 Brazilian National Cancer Congress and Psycho-oncology National Congress in Belém, Brasil. Luzia represented IPOS as well as delivered a communication skills training workshop. She also participated in several talks:

• The role and challenges of psycho-oncology in improving cancer care;
• The value of psychosocial care for cancer patients;
• Round-table regarding the ‘minimal curriculum for the specialization in Psycho-oncology.’

2.     Awarded a grant from SPARC/UICC and invited to attend the UICC World Cancer Congress in Kuala Lumpur, October 1-4, 2018. Fellow IPOS Director Chioma Asuzu also attended. Luzia represented IPOS at their General Assembly. At the meeting, Luzia spoke with then president Sanchia Aranda about including ‘Distress management’ in the World Cancer Declaration and in their new program to eradicate Cervical Cancer in the world. After this talk, follow-up to introduce IPOS and its mission was completed by an email to Julie Torode and via discussion with the new UICC president Princess Dina Mired.

3.     Luzia provided a webcast lecture for the European School of Oncology (ESO) and their e-ESO online learning program on the value of psychosocial care for patients, e-session 444 – 21 June 2018. You can access this webcast by going to https://www.e-eso.net/sessions.do?methodcall=details&idegrandround=901

4.     With the  European CanCer Organisation (ECCO), Luzia participated as co-chair and IPOS representative on the Essential Requirements for Quality Cancer Care for Ovarian Cancer. Details can be found by going to https://www.ecco-org.eu/

Thanks again to all our volunteers for a great 2018! Thanks also to all the support from our members around the world. Until 2019!

Find out how you can become a member of IPOS in 2019 by going to https://ipos-society.org/membership/apply