Welcome to the ACCESS website.
ACCESS (Adjusting to Chronic Conditions with Education, Support, and Skills) is an evidence-based cognitive-behavioral intervention specifically designed to address the physical and emotional issues faced by chronically ill patients.
The ACCESS website was specifically developed to assist and train mental health clinicians in advanced treatment methods for patients with chronic medical conditions. However, the website also provides educational materials for patients, current and past projects related to the ACCESS intervention, and a brief description of the investigators and clinicians responsible for ACCESS.
As a treatment, ACCESS was based on prior studies showing that chronically ill patients often have unique physical and emotional health needs that require a patient-centered approach to care. ACCESS attempts to balance the comprehensive needs of the patient while offering a time-limited and focused treatment. ACCESS involves a total of 6 active treatment sessions (weekly meetings of 30-45 minutes in duration) and 4 follow-up booster sessions. The length of the total treatment (active treatment and boosters) is 16 weeks. The basic premise and novelty of ACCESS rests in the presentation of intervention concepts and treatment goals. ACCESS clinicians work with patients to acquire skills and strategies designed to address both their physical and emotional needs. For example, physical disease self-management strategies, behavioral activation, and using thoughts to improve wellness (e.g., cognitive therapy) all hold the potential to impact physical and/or emotional health. Within the ACCESS intervention, these approaches have been modified to meet the unique needs of the chronically ill targeting both physical and emotional health outcomes.
