Optimal cancer care
Title: An Optimal Care Pathway for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people – closing the gap on culturally safe cancer care.
Conference: Clinical Oncology Society of Australia, 45 th Annual Meeting
This new edition to the suite of Optimal Care Pathways, and corresponding consumer guide, were developed to describe and facilitate the delivery of culturally safe care. A multidisciplinary expert group agreed on the content for the clinical version, which was submitted to national public consultation for seven weeks. The two corresponding consumer resources were focus tested with community members in four states and territories.
The Optimal Care Pathway for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People with Cancer was developed collaboratively by Cancer Australia in partnership with the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services and Cancer Council Victoria
Program delivery
Title: Lost in Translation: Exploring the nature of information and support accessed by non-English speakers.
Conference: Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer Annual Meeting
This study analysed content of consecutive pairs of dialogue between nurse and caller, or nurse and interpreter. By assessing quality issues and impacts on therapeutic communication, the results revealed that qualified interpreters with knowledge of medical terminology and complexities is paramount.
Title: Using simulated patients and experiential learning for formative and summative assessment to induct nurses providing a telephone-based service.
Conference: International Conference on Communication in Healthcare
The use of simulated patients and complex scenarios provide a safe and realistic learning opportunity for induction of 13 11 20 nurses. This approach is supportive of reflective practice and allows the nurse to elicit the necessary information by learning to ‘listen between the lines’ in the absence of access to patient notes and non-verbal cues.
Title: Connecting to wellness in regional Victoria: Telehealth as an enabler for supportive survivorship care.
Conference: Victorian Cancer Survivorship Conference
Regional Victorians face additional survivorship challenges due to distance and limited transport options to access treatment and supports. This pilot project assessed a telehealth model for the sustainable delivery of Wellness and Life After Cancer program across five Victorian regional sites. Evaluation highlighted improvements in social and emotional outcomes and benefits for participants.
This pilot project is funded by the Victorian Cancer Survivorship Program, Department of Health and Human Services, in partnership with Hume and Grampians Integrated Cancer Services.
Clinical trials
Title: Missing evidence: Exploring unpublished trials in Victoria.
Conference: 2018 World Cancer Congress
There is currently no legal requirement for researcher to register or communicate findings from clinical trials. This study reports on the proportion of oncology intervention trials conducted in Victoria between 2009 and 2013 for which published results could not be found.
This project has been funded by the Department of Health and Human Services.
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