Poster Presentation Cancer Survivorship Conference 2023

Health professionals’ priorities to enhance the delivery of survivorship care in Victoria (#148)

Tegan Nash 1 , Rebecca McIntosh 1 , Helana Kelly 1 , Kathy Quade 2 , Julie Symons 3 , Tracey Mander 1 , Michael Jefford 1 4 5
  1. Australian Cancer Survivorship Centre, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
  2. Western Central Melbourne Integrated Cancer Service, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
  3. Loddon Mallee Integrated Cancer Service, Bendigo, Victoria, Australia
  4. Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
  5. Department of Health Services Research, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Background

There are growing calls to improve the delivery of care for cancer survivors. The Australian Cancer Survivorship Centre (ACSC) and Victorian Integrated Cancer Services (VICS) are working collaboratively to enhance care delivery across Victoria. We undertook a poll of health professionals (HPs) to prioritise statewide work.

 

Method

An online poll focused on recommendations and improvement areas identified through previous statewide improvement work and a survey of survivors and carers. The poll was distributed to HPs across Victoria via VICS and ACSC networks. Respondents ranked 6 improvement areas from 1-6 (1=most important, 6=least important) and could suggest other improvement areas through free text.  

 

Results

99 people responded, covering all 9 VICS regions. 43% (n=43/99) identified as nurses (oncology or other), 16% (n=16/99) allied HPs and 12% (n=12/99) improvement facilitators/project managers. Others included oncologists, paediatricians, GPs, researchers, executives and ‘other’. The majority (69%, n=68/99) saw patients in the post-treatment phase, and (63%, n=62/99) had over 10 years of experience working in cancer care.

 

The highest ranked improvement areas (lower scores=higher ranking) were (1) survivorship care plans (n=297), (2) needs assessment (n=317), (3) information provision (n=335). The number of respondents who ranked improvement areas as either 1, 2 or 3 was n=63/99 for survivorship care plans (highest ranking by this method); n=59/99 for needs assessment (2nd), and n=51/99 for information provision (3rd).

 

39 people provided free text comments, mostly elaborating on the six pre-specified improvement areas. New suggestions clustered around (1) availability/affordability of supportive care services (11 responses), and (2) support for HPs (7 responses). Strongest sub-themes from these related to enhancing psychological support services (n=6) and HP education (n=6). Majority of other suggestions were only reported once.

 

Conclusion

Together with a survey of survivors and carers, this analysis informs Victorian statewide efforts to improve the delivery of care for cancer survivors.