Background: In early 2023 Kyabram District Health Service (KDHS) Cancer Services conducted a gap analysis against the Victorian Quality Cancer Survivorship Care Framework which showed against the ten policy domains KDHS barely met three domains. KDHS Cancer Services was aware of this gap in survivorship due to a lack of staff in the supportive care and survivorship space. KDHS decided to prioritized the need for improving survivorship care for our patients.
Aim: KDHS was selected as a pilot site of the Victorian Statewide Collaboration to Improve Cancer Survivorship Care project with the support of the Australian Cancer Survivorship Centre and the Victorian Integrated Cancer Services. KDHS aimed to develop a Cancer Survivorship policy and a KDHS specific survivorship care plan (SCP).
Method: KDHS followed the 4 step approach for implementing the SCP which started with a one-page resource sheet about survivorship for the patients, given to them just prior to the completion of their treatment. Steps 2- 4 were usually done in one meeting with the patient and Cancer Resource Nurse and included information on when follow up will occur, further health screenings and completion of a personalized SCP that they could take with them. A copy of the SCP was sent to their GPs to keep them informed.
Conclusion: KDHS had eight patients who were part of the pilot. Three patients only received step 1 and did not want any further follow up. Five patients completed all 4 steps. Feedback from patients was that it was beneficial to have all the information on one sheet, and it was comforting to continue to feel supported.
Providing survivorship care closer to home, no matter where patients received their cancer treatment is important for patients living in rural areas. The pilot has allowed KDHS to embed survivorship care to ensure an ongoing and sustainable service.