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Capacity and capability can be considered fundamental to appropriate and acceptable survivorship care. But what exactly does it mean? Whose capacity and capability? Providers? Health systems? Survivors? What is the difference between capacity and capability? How do we recognise capacity? How do we measure capability? And how do we build it? Join us for the thought-provoking panel discussion testing our capacity to think differently and challenging the boundaries of our capabilities.
Speakers: Sufi Aidah Salieh, Elizabeth Deveny, Mei Krishnasamy, Sabe Sabesan
Sufi is a youth cancer survivor with a background in research, she currently works in the mental health space, with aspirations towards studies in psychiatry. She has been advocating to improve healthcare services for cancer patients in Victoria for over 7 years. Sufi was co-chair on the Victorian and Tasmanian Youth Cancer Action Board, with the Victorian Young Adolescent Cancer Service at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. Sufi then progressed as co-chair of the Value Based Cancer Care, Consumer Led Research Pilot program with the VCCC Alliance where she helped to investigate the values of Arabic speaking patients who utilise an interpreter during consultations. She is currently working on the Statewide Consumer Led Research Program as Co-chair with the VCCC Alliance, in hopes to build the capacity of other consumer leaders in Victoria.
Sufi has been part of many co-design projects to improve healthcare services, helped to develop resources, facilitate educational programs for clinicians and conduct research that reflects the values of the cancer population. She is particularly passionate about addressing access and inequity issues, related to persons from ethnically diverse backgrounds and those with mental health challenges.
As the CEO of the Consumers Health Forum of Australia, Dr. Elizabeth Deveny has transformed the landscape of health consumer advocacy, emphasising the need for consumer-driven healthcare reform. Her leadership in merging three disparate Medicare locals into a leading primary health network showcases her capacity to inspire and drive change. Dr. Deveny excels in creating high-performing organisations and fostering a culture aligned with strategic visions and organisational values. Her approach is characterised by proactive engagement and values-based leadership.
Professor Mei Krishnasamy PhD, FAAN, is Professor of Cancer Nursing at the University of Melbourne and Research and Education Lead for Nursing at the VCCC Alliance. She is also an Honorary Research Fellow at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. Mei is past President of the Clinical Oncology Society of Australia and the Cancer Nurses Society of Australia. Her research focuses on cancer supportive care, health equity and the experiences and outcomes of care for older adults with cancer. She has considerable teaching and post-graduate supervision experience and holds national leadership positions on nursing and multi-disciplinary professional and policy Committees.
Professor Sabesan BMBS PhD FRACP is a senior Medical Oncologist at the Townsville Cancer Centre and the Clinical Director of the Australian Teletrial Program, Office of Research and Innovation, Queensland Health. He led the development of various teleoncology models including the Australasian Teletrial model to improve access to high quality care closer to home for RRR communities. As the President of COSA, he plans to advocate for creating equitable health system in Australia and healthier workplace culture as the foundation for workforce wellbeing.
While much discussion around health care delivery is focused upon hospitals and clinics, for people experiencing cancer the vast majority of their time is spent at home, and the vast majority of support is provided by family, friends and community. This session will explore ways by which survivorship capacity at home may be enhanced.
This session focuses on the complexities of living with treatable but not curable cancer. Speakers will cover topics including metastatic cancer advocacy, MASCC/ASCO survivorship care standards for supporting people with advanced cancer, lived experiences and research, and advancements in clinical care and advocacy. A panel discussion will provide further insights into survivorship, care strategies, and research integration.
Learn from one of our experts about their highlights and key takeaways from the posters
Financial toxicity is the negative patient-level impact of the cost of cancer. It is the combined impact of direct out-of-pocket costs and indirect costs and the changing financial circumstances of an individual and their household due to cancer, its diagnosis, treatment, survivorship and palliation, causing both physical and psychological harms, affecting decisions which can lead to suboptimal cancer outcomes. While work is inextricably intertwined with financial toxicity, there is a relatively underexplored connection between employment and financial toxicity. But how much progress have we made towards understanding the connection between employment and financial toxicity? And how might we develop interventions to address financial toxicity informed by its connection to employment?