Development of the Optimal Care Pathway for people living in rural and remote areas with cancer

The need

There are many benefits to living in rural and remote areas of Australia, including diverse landscapes, strong communities, and resilient health systems. However, our research has found that if you live in rural Australia, the chances of surviving a cancer diagnosis may decrease by 13%, or even more if you live in more remote areas.

The reasons for this survival disadvantage are complex. They include reduced access to cancer screening, and delayed diagnosis and treatment. People living in rural and remote areas may face additional challenges in navigating cancer care, such as the need to travel or relocate for treatment, as well as limited access to supportive care services.

Optimal Care Pathways (often referred to as OCPs) are nationally endorsed guides to best practice cancer care from prevention through to survivorship and end of life. People living in rural and remote Australia have been recognised by the Federal Government in the 2023 Australian Cancer Plan as a priority population group requiring improved cancer experience and outcomes and national guidance has not yet been developed for this population.

To address this gap, the ECORRA research group are developing the Optimal Care Pathway for people living in rural and remote areas with cancer. Cancer survival should not depend on where you live, and addressing this inequity requires recognition of the strengths, resources and realities of rural and remote living.

Impact

• Establish the first edition of the Optimal Care Pathway for people living in rural and remote areas with cancer, which will be nationally endorsed
• Deliver all three Optimal Care Pathways documents: a guide to best practice cancer care (for consumers), a quick reference guide (summarising the document) and a full Optimal Care Pathway
• Identify unique barriers for rural and remote cancer care and deliver strategies to overcome these
• Present the latest evidence on optimising cancer care, including tele-oncology, clinical trial access, travel support, different models of primary care and workforce considerations
• Enable consistent, coordinated, and equitable access to high-quality cancer care

Collaborators

Expert Working Group members:

• Dr Florian Honeyball (Chair), Medical Oncologist, Western Cancer Centre, Dubbo Base Hospital, University of Sydney, NSW
• Carmel O’Kane (Deputy Chair), Cancer Nurse Practitioner, Grampians Health Horsham, VIC
• Dr Wei-Sen Lam, Medical Oncologist, WA Country Health Service, South Metro Health Service, WA
• A/Prof. Craig Underhill, Medical Oncologist, Border Medical Oncology, NSW
• Prof. Matthew Links, Medical Oncologist, Alice Springs Hospital and Bond University, NT
• Dr Louise Nott, Medical Oncologist, Royal Hobart Hospital and Icon Cancer Centre Hobart, TAS
• Dr Zulfiquer Otty, Medical Oncologist, Townsville University Hospital, QLD
• A/Prof. Ian Collins, Medical Oncologist, SouthWest Oncology, VIC
• Dr Christopher Steer, Medical Oncologist, UNSW, La Trobe University, Border Medical Oncology, Albury Wodonga Health, NSW
• Dr Tim Senior, General Practitioner, Churchill Fellow, Tharawal Aboriginal Corporation
• Dr Heba Azer, General Practitioner, University of New South Wales & RACGP
• Kerry Patford, Chief Nurse, McGrath Foundation, VIC
• Stuart Willder, Nurse Practitioner, Western District Health Service, VIC
• Sue Bartlett, Nurse Practitioner, Grampians Health Ballarat, VIC
• Dr Pammie Ellem, Registered Nurse, Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council, QLD
• Catherine Adams, Psycho-Oncologist, GenesisCare, MHF Centre for Brain Cancer Research, HMRI, UoN, NSW
• Catherine Hanns, Social worker, Grampians Health, VIC
• Dr Melissa Hancock, Haematologist, Queensland Health and Icon Cancer Care, QLD
• A/Prof. Anoop Enjeti, Haematologist, Calvary Mater Hospital Newcastle, Hunter New England and NSW Health Pathology, NSW
• Louise Moodie, Dietitian, Mackay Hospital and Health Service, QLD
• Naomi Lettieri, Hospice Manager, Anam Cara House Colac, VIC
• Jade Ralph, Exercise Physiologist, Grampians Health, VIC
• Hayley Vasileff, Cancer Pharmacist, SA Health, SA
• Ali Judge, Chief Radiation Therapist, North West Cancer Centre, Tamworth, NSW
• Dr Nina Stewart, Radiation Oncologist, Genesis Care Bunbury, WA
• Dr Nathalie Davis, Cancer Service Development Project Manager, South West Healthcare & BSWRICS, VIC
• Narelle McPhee, Cancer Research Manager, Bendigo Health, VIC
• Stewart Harper, Program Director, Gippsland Regional Integrated Cancer Service, VIC
• Clare Jennings, Cancer Care Coordinator, Queensland Health, QLD
• Annie Williams, HRICS Director, Hume Regional Integrate Cancer Service, VIC
• Victoria Turner, Consumer representative, NSW
• Tania ‘Narelle’ Yench, Consumer representative, QLD
• Peta Rogers, Consumer representative, NSW

Funding

This project was funded by the Commonwealth of Australia represented by the Department of Health and Aged Care.