Compassion fatigue in surgical oncologists: A scoping review.

343 Background: The practice of clinical oncology includes diverse and complex clinical, interpersonal and ethical challenges that can lead to physical and/or emotional distress, including burnout (BO), compassion fatigue (CF), secondary traumatic stress (STS) or moral distress (MDS), which potentially impacts patient care and provider well-being. Surgical oncology presents additional stressors and challenges, yet little is known about CF, STS, and MDS in this population, and the greater body of literature in oncology is heterogenous.The aim of this paper is to review current literature regarding CF, MDS, and STS in clinical oncologists, with a focus on surgical oncologists. Methods: Searches of OVID Medline and Embase databases were performed, as well as relevant bibliographies to identify articles related to CF, STS and MDS in clinical and surgical oncologists. Descriptive analysis was completed on relevant articles to address common definitions, themes, and potential aggravating/protective factors. Results: 619 articles were retrieved, of which 196 underwent data extraction. Of these, 48 articles were related to CF, MDS, or STS in oncologists and 5 included surgical oncologists. There was no data specific to surgical oncologists. Definitions of the terms were inconsistent across the literature. Potential contributing factors for CF/STS/MDS are related to the work environment, time pressures, and poor communication skills. In contrast, self-care, supportive colleagues/supervisors, and experience appear to be protective. Conclusions: This study highlights a need for standardized definitions to accurately capture and explore each of these phenomena. Further research is needed to provide insight into the challenges faced by surgical oncologists and how to support them.