Following recent healthcare experiences that inspired the beginning of the Supporter Perspectives series, “Addressing Inequities, Access and Communication: One Supporter’s Personal Story,” I shared how my experience with dealing with Occipital Neuralgia has changed the way I evaluate, as an industry supporter, how I might address those systemic issues by incorporating them into CME strategy and advocating for budget in my organization. I ended that article with a call to action with my belief that we must also educate healthcare professionals on cultural competence, empathy and the importance of equitable care delivery. I stressed the necessity of fostering a more inclusive, patient-centered approach to healthcare to reduce disparities and ensure that everyone receives the quality care they deserve, regardless of their background or circumstances.

Part of that educational focus on empathy and equitable care includes taking a holistic, patient-centered approach by addressing the well-being and mental health of patients. As a continuing medical education (CME)/continuing professional education (CPE) community, we typically address these topics if our own organizations produce therapeutic interventions to address them. Additionally, while we’ve spoken about HCP burnout and the nature of resilience in our collective work we do, we have few opportunities to address well-being directly in the patients we serve, and amongst ourselves. This article provides a powerful and deeply personal reflection on the intersection of healthcare, mental health, and the role of industry supporters in driving meaningful change within the CME/CPE community.

During one of the many visits in my Occipital Neuralgia journey, the nurse would take my vitals, chat with me a bit, and then ask, “Do you feel safe in your relationships?” The half dozen times she asked I always answered yes, because at the time I did feel safe with my former partner, but I also wasn’t understanding what was going on with him, or between us, at the time. The reason I was ultimately so unsure how to answer the nurse’s question was because after a year or so of being together with my former partner, I had become well versed at hiding what was going on, both mentally and emotionally and, at times, verbally. It wasn’t that I consciously decided to hide it all from my family, friends and colleagues, I just hadn’t realized what was going on and it was inconsistent. The relationship ended one night after culminating in an episode of domestic violence.

I realize we work in the business of medicine, and, from an educational and Industry supporter perspective, our work is focused on safety and efficacy, treatment duration and selection, adverse event management, cytogenetics, and even, at times, operationalization. However, what if we as a community did more? What would CME look like, if we remained focused on our core, but helped clinicians and health systems provide holistic, patient-centered care including mental health support? There is ample evidence that addressing mental health during the cancer treatment journey can affect the overall health and outcomes of a patient. There is also research on the impact of cancer treatment on a patient’s life after they stop receiving it.

Adopting a holistic, patient-centered approach can profoundly impact patients’ lives, ensuring they receive comprehensive care that includes mental health support alongside treatment for their specific cancer or other disease. Now, more than ever, we as an industry need to be the drivers of the change needed to provide better and more compassionate care to patients.

By fostering an environment that prioritizes not only physical health but also mental and emotional well-being, we can work towards reducing disparities and ensuring that all patients receive the comprehensive care they deserve.

This is my story, my life’s mission, but I can’t do it alone. Why not join me?