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To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2010.04.001 Byline: Kristina Geue, Heide Goetze, Marianne Buttstaedt, Evelyn Kleinert, Diana Richter, Susanne Singer Keywords: Art therapy; Cancer; Psycho-oncology; Review Abstract: Over the last few years several offers in- and outpatient creative therapy interventions for cancer patients have been developed, implemented and researched. This article describes the content, concept and structure of art therapy interventions based on painting or drawing as well as some further methodical procedures and research results of art therapy in the field of psycho-oncology. Author Affiliation: University of Leipzig, Department of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, Philipp-Rosenthal-Str. 55, 04103 Leipzig, Germany

Definition of Problem: Modern medicine is challenging traditional views of age(ing). What was long considered a "normal" sign of old age is now often perceived and treated as a disease. As a result, age-related health standards and treatment goals are shifting. The resulting scope between trivialization and pathologization of age(ing) requires ethical reflection., Argument: This article explores the question of how notions of age(ing) are to be understood ethically in the context of medicine. We first provide an overview of the state of research on the role of age stereotypes in the healthcare of older people. The notions of age(ing) identified in this context are then analyzed from the perspective of teleological ethics., Conclusions: What kinds of healthcare are reasonable and appropriate in old age has to be discussed in the context of the temporal structure of a good life., (© The Author(s) 2023.)

Aim: In the DICTUM-Friedland study, a medical history-taking app was implemented in an initial reception facility for refugees and asylum seekers. This app can be used to obtain from patients information about the most frequent general medical complaints and risk factors in 13 different languages or dialects. A report (synopsis) is generated, based on each patient's given data, in the German language. Usability and efficiency of obtaining medical history were the criteria evaluated in order to test and optimize the app for use in a broader general medical setting., Methods: From May to December 2018, the app was tested in the waiting room of the general medical ward in the refugee camp in Friedland in southern Lower Saxony, Germany. Patients were asked to complete a short digital questionnaire about the usability of the app immediately after finishing the query. Sociodemographic data were partly collected with the same questionnaire and partly extracted from patient records. The efficiency was evaluated on the basis of the correspondence between the entered complaints (ICPC-2) and the diagnoses of the doctors (ICD-10)., Results: In total, the app was used 353 times, and based on these, 283 medical histories were taken. The median time for entering the complaints was 10:27 minutes. The use of the audio output (60% of patients used this option) did not influence the usability. The majority of the users (76%) rated the app as easy to use and 65% of the users stated that they were able to enter their main complaints. Both assessments were independent of the age and sex of the users, but the educational level had a slightly more positive influence. The efficiency test showed that 51% (n=144) of the synopses matched fully and 28% (n=79) of the synopses matched partially with the medical diagnoses., Conclusion: The systematic survey of the most frequent general medical complaints enables a more precise medical history taking in patients with whom a normal interview is not possible due to language barriers. Thus it serves as a support for the medical history taking. The app is easy to use and not prone to the errors of online translations., Competing Interests: Die Autorinnen/Autoren geben an, dass kein Interessenkonflikt besteht., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)

Background: Language barriers play a critical role in the treatment of migrant and refugeepatients. In Germany, primary care interpreters are often not available especially in rural areas or ifpatients demand spontaneous or urgent consultations. Methods : In order to enable patients and theirphysicians to communicate effectively about the current illness history, we developed a digitalcommunication assistance tool (DCAT) for 19 different languages and dialects. This paper reportsthe multidisciplinary process of the conceptual design and the iterative development of this crossculturaluser-centered application in an action-oriented approach. Results : We piloted our app with36 refugee patients prior to a clinical study and used the results for further development. Theacceptance and usability of the app by patients was high. Conclusion : Using digital tools forovercoming language barriers can be a feasible approach when providing health care to foreignlanguagepatients.

Homosexual parents as well as gay and lesbian individuals wanting children are increasingly a topic of public discourse. To estimate the importance of parenting for this group, 1 289 non-heterosexual individuals were examined by means of an anonymous online survey. Their answers were compared to 1 022 heterosexual participants of a representative control group. The respondents were questioned concerning their motives for desiring children, the external factors influencing this desire and their ideal number of children. 80% of the non-heterosexual respondents and 49% of the control group indicated that they have no children. In both groups emotional motives were reported to have far greater influence on their parenting desire than social recognition or personal and financial constraints. 85% of the non-heterosexual respondents and 60% of the control group have fewer children than they would like to have. Both groups considered work and their financial situation as the most important external factors influencing the realization of their desire to have children., (© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)

Background: Art therapy is used in the whole field of psycho-oncological maintenance to support coping mechanisms with creative techniques. Previous studies stated effects of art therapy just by referring to the participants' ratings. This study wants to extend the perspective by including the views of all involved parties--participating patients, dropouts, art therapist and supervisor., Patients and Methods: We developed and tested an art therapy programme for cancer patients. The participants' and dropouts' ratings were documented by using a questionnaire with open and closed questions upon completion of the intervention. The art therapist and the supervisor described their personal point of view., Results: 74 patients took part in the intervention whereof 18 dropped out. Of these, 8 could be interviewed regarding the reasons for not participating further in the study. The dropouts evaluated the intervention positively(4/8) or could not make a final statement (3/8). 55 questionnaires were available from the 56 participants. They described the importance of the programme in several ways. Most of all, they reported of: stimulation of imagination (50/55), emotional stabilisation(48/55), enlargement of means of expression (45/55) and contact with other patients (42/55). The dropouts named several reasons for their decision to cancel: too intense focus on the disease(N = 3), modern drawing (N = 1), too much talks (N = 1) and too much sketching (N = 1) were some points of criticism. The art therapist as well as the supervisor emphasized activation as a main outcome for the participants., Conclusions: Positive effects of the intervention programme highlight the importance of establishing an art therapy in ambulant care. It enlarges the range of psychosocial maintenance and enables oncological patients to cope with the disease and its consequences with artistic means.