Background
Policy underpins the delivery of quality cancer survivorship care. The Australian Cancer Survivorship Centre (ACSC) previously developed the Victorian Quality Cancer Survivorship Care Framework and a modifiable Survivorship Care Policy Template (2021). A collaborative project was established between ACSC and the Victorian Integrated Cancer Services (VICS), running 2022-2024. One goal was to support survivorship care policy implementation in public hospitals in Victoria, to articulate commitment and build capability in survivorship care.
Methodology
The Victorian Department of Health and ACSC wrote to 43 public hospitals with cancer services, encouraging them to put a survivorship care policy in place. VICS staff supported their affiliated hospitals to tailor the policy template, and put the policy in place. ACSC supported VICS staff via online meetings. An online survey assessed the experience of VICS staff engaging and supporting hospitals.
Impact on clinical practice
VICS staff supported 39 hospitals, with 4 sites deferring work. Within a 12-month period, 8/39 hospitals (21%) had a policy in place, 1/39 (3%) was awaiting final approval, 9/39 (23%) had reviewed a draft, 8/39 (21%) had tailored the policy template, and 10/39 (26%) were involved in initial discussions. All VICS staff (10/10, 100%) completed the survey and reported ACSC support was useful. Enablers included the DH letter, ability to tailor the policy template and support from senior management. Barriers were unresponsive stakeholders and complex processes to implement policy.
Discussion
As part of efforts to enhance care of cancer survivors, Victoria is making progress in implementing policy describing quality survivorship care. Future work should focus on overcoming barriers and supporting identified enablers.