Many Ways to Reach Counselling Services

When information is available for 24 hours and every day of the year, the digital online services are often the fastest way to learn more about cancer, its treatments, prevention, symptoms, recovery, and rehabilitation. How has the digitalization changed counselling services? Here are some examples of development.

Enhanced collaboration

The Cancer Society of Finland traditionally has given advice about cancer in national helpline center, in regional offices and from patient organisations. These Cancer organisations work under the same brand (1.)

Telephone is still an easy way to make contact to a health care professional from the Cancer Society. This advice is free of charge. It is important that phone numbers and opening hours are easily available. There is an ongoing marketing need for this vital information. Hospitals, health care centers, professional magazines and educational events are important knowledge brokers. Phone and email are still popular services with thousands of users annually, even if the service has nowadays many faces: advice is given by personal meetings, phone, email, and online chat services.

Counselling nurse can chat with you

One way to reach counselling nurses is to seek information from the website of the Cancer Society. The chat service appears then and allows real time discussion one to one with the nurse. This is especially recommended if there is no privacy to make a phone call.

Public and NGO services complement each other

In recent years hospitals have set up digital services. In Finland there are also extensive online services for both citizens and professionals, the Health library and Health portal (2). These services complement each other and provide links to the Cancer Society´s advice activities. The COVID-19 pandemic made these digital connections very valuable.

Specialized advice within the counselling services

The Cancer Society has set up specialized services that operate as a part of the counselling service. There is genetic counselling that provides information about cancer in the family and another service for social benefits. There is a collaboration project to serve people in need of pain management.

Clear communication how your service operates

Anyone can access national services.  It is good to have the basic principles online. Here is an example, how the Cancer Society of Finland communicates its services:

  • The national advice service’s nurses answer general questions about cancer. The service does not make diagnoses.
  • Service is confidential: nurses are bound by professional secrecy.
  • Service does not generate a doctor-patient relationship. The law on patients’ status and rights does not apply to the service.
  • Service does not replace the advice, examination or treatment given by a doctor or other health care professional.
  • The national advice service’s nurses do not have access to a client’s medical records.

The Cancer Society’s national advice service is a member of the ethical principles advisory committee on voluntary phone and online assistance.

Any questions? Please contact satu.lipponen@cancer.fi

1. https://www.cancersociety.fi/activities/advice-service/

https://www.allaboutcancer.fi/advice-services/

https://www.terveyskyla.fi/en#

2. https://www.terveyskyla.fi/syopatalo (Cancer House, in Finnish)

https://www.duodecim.fi/english/products/for-everyone-else/ (Health Library)

https://www.duodecim.fi/english/products/for-heath-care-professionals/ (Health portal for health care professionals)