Recommendations
Availability
of information at diagnosis and referral
Recommendation
1
3.9 The Committee recommends
that Cancer Australia, in association with consumer based organisations such as
Cancer Voices NSW and the Breast Cancer Action Group in Victoria, coordinate the
development of information about cancer treatment services in each State and
Territory. This information would be based on the successful breast cancer
treatment directory developed by the Breast Cancer Action Group in NSW,
published in 2002, which is also available on the Internet.
Recommendation
2
3.13 The Committee recommends
that Cancer Australia, in conjunction with State and Territory Governments,
develop appropriate referral pathways for the optimal management of all cancers
for all Australians regardless of where they live.
Recommendation
3
3.23 The Committee recommends
that, Cancer Australia, together with the
Clinical Oncological Society of Australia and the Cancer Council of Australia
develop and introduce accreditation and credentialing systems.
Recommendation
4
3.32 The Committee recommends
that Cancer Australia in its role of providing national leadership and to
foster improvements in the integration of networked cancer services, play a
primary role in facilitating the sharing of information about Commonwealth and
State and Territory Government cancer initiatives to improve treatment
services.
Promoting multidiscipinary care
Recommendation
5
3.61 The Committee recommends
that the use of and adherence to clinical guidelines is an essential component
of multidisciplinary care and must be part of any system of accreditation of
cancer treatment services.
Recommendation
6
3.62 The Committee recommends
that multidisciplinary care, consisting of an integrated team approach in which
medical and allied health care professionals develop collaboratively an
individual patient treatment plan, continue to be widely promoted within the
medical and allied health care professions.
Recommendation
7
3.65 The Committee recommends
that the curriculum for medical professionals at the undergraduate and
postgraduate levels include enhanced communication skills training and that
professional Colleges also undertake a more active role in the provision of
such training for their members. This training could be based on the National
Breast Cancer Centre's communication skills training workshops that have been
developed to improve the awareness and capacity of health professionals to
communicate effectively with women with cancer.
Recommendation
8
3.72 The Committee recommends
that the Cancer Funding Reform Project, established under the auspices of the
Health Reform Agenda Working Group and reporting to Australian Health
Ministers, include the differences in public and private hospital billing
arrangements as an item for investigation and resolution.
Recommendation
9
3.73 The Committee recommends
that the Department of Health and Ageing, in consultation with Cancer Australia, enhance current
Medicare Benefit Schedule arrangements for relevant specialists and general
practitioners to support participation in multidisciplinary care meetings in
both hospitals and the community.
Recommendation
10
3.74 The Committee recommends
that five multidisciplinary cancer centre demonstration projects be set up in
consultation with consumer groups and be funded over three years in different
parts of Australia. At least one
demonstration project should be in the private sector. Within these
multidisciplinary centres different models of psychosocial support,
incorporating a range of complementary therapies and taking into account the
cultural needs of patients, should be assessed. The assessment of all aspects
of the demonstration projects should be scientifically based and involve
consumer representatives in the process.
Improving coordination of cancer services
Recommendation
11
3.98 The Committee recommends
that all State and Territory Governments that have not yet done so, establish
designated care coordinator positions to help cancer patients navigate their
way through treatment and provide support and access to appropriate
information.
Recommendation
12
3.99 The Committee recommends
that use of the breast cancer nurse care coordinator model should be adopted
for all cancers and that States and Territories undertake a recruitment drive
for skilled health professionals such as retired nurses to help fill these
positions.
Recommendation
13
3.105 The Committee recommends
that Cancer Australia provide access to authoritative, nationally consistent,
evidence based information on services, treatment options, government and
non-government assistance and links to appropriate support groups which can be
used by health professionals including care coordinators, cancer patients and
their families. This information should be available in different forms.
Improving support for cancer patients
Recommendation
14
3.121 The Committee recommends
that the Department of Health and Ageing improve health professional and
consumer awareness of allied health services for people with chronic conditions
and complex care needs that can be claimed under the Medical Benefits Schedule.
Current claim usage of allied health services should be determined and an
evaluation should be conducted 12 months after promotion of the Medical Benefit
Schedule items available.
Recommendation
15
3.122 The Committee recommends
that Cancer Australia examine appropriate funding mechanisms for programs and
activities like those operated by the Gawler Foundation, which specialise in
providing learning and self-help techniques based on an integrated approach for
cancer patients and their carers. This examination should include consideration
from a health and equity point of view of providing Medicare deductibility for
cancer patients accessing these services.
Recommendation
16
3.126 The Committee recommends
the continued implementation and dissemination of the Clinical practice guidelines for the psychosocial care of adults with
cancer to health professionals and people and families affected by cancer.
Recommendation
17
3.132 The Committee recommends
that psychosocial care be given equal priority with other aspects of care and
be fully integrated with both diagnosis and treatment, including the referral
of the patient to appropriate support services.
Recommendation
18
3.133 The Committee recommends
that patients and carers should be made aware of additional support services
provided by organisations such as The Gawler Foundation in VIC, Balya Cancer Self Help
and Wellness Inc in WA and Bloomhill Cancer Help in QLD.
Recommendation
19
3.135 The Committee recommends
that State and Territory Governments consider ways to increase the availability
of psychosocial support services.
Travel and accommodation issues for regional Australians
Recommendation
20
3.169 The Committee recommends
States and Territories adopt and implement the consistent approach to the
benefits for travel and accommodation recommended by the Radiation Oncology
Jurisdictional Implementation Group to ensure that benefits are standardised
across Australia. These benefits should
be indexed or reviewed annually for increases in travel and accommodation
costs.
Improving cancer care for Indigenous Australians
Recommendation
21
3.184 The Committee recommends
Cancer Australia, in consultation with
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and the States and Territories,
auspice work to improve access to cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment for
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people that is culturally appropriate.
Increasing research into complementary therapies
Recommendation
22
4.39 The Committee recommends
the National Health and Medical Research Council provide a dedicated funding
stream for research into complementary therapies and medicines, to be allocated
on a competitive basis.
Recommendation
23
4.49 The Committee agrees
with the recommendation of the Expert Committee on complementary medicines in
the health system, that the NHMRC convene an expert working group to identify
the research needs addressing the use of complementary medicines, including
issues around safety, efficacy and capacity building. The Committee recommends
that this working group should include complementary therapists in order to
develop a strategy to coordinate and prioritise a dedicated research funding
stream for complementary medicine and therapy research, taking into account
research conducted overseas. The group should also encourage the development of
collaborative partnerships across disciplines.
Recommendation
24
4.50 The Committee recommends
that the NHMRC develop workshops for complementary therapy researchers
intending to compete for funding, where experienced researchers discuss their
preparation of research proposals.
Recommendation
25
4.51 The Committee recommends
that the NHMRC appoint two representatives, (including one consumer), with a
background in complementary therapy, to be involved in the assessment of
research applications received by the NHMRC for research into complementary and
alternative treatments.
Improving access to and information on complementary
therapies
Recommendation
26
4.70 The Committee recommends
that complementary therapy organisations form a collaborative group with the
authority to negotiate with representatives from the established medical
organisations and to make recommendations to government. This body should
organise a regular forum for representatives of complementary therapies to come
together and discuss issues affecting their members such as regulation,
research funding issues, collaboration and health and cancer initiatives at the
Commonwealth, State and Territory levels.
Recommendation
27
4.90 The Committee recommends
that Cancer Australia access the information available internationally on
different complementary therapies ad alternative products in order to provide
up-to-date, authoritative, evidence-based information which can be regularly
updated. This information should be made available in different forms and made
available to cancer patients and their families as well as health professionals
and other interested individuals.
Recommendation
28
4.98 The Committee recommends
that where quality of life may be improved by complementary approaches, methods
to make such therapies more accessible be discussed by State and Territory
cancer services, including consumer representatives.
Recommendation
29
4.104 The Committee recommends
that State and Territory governments include the views of peak complementary
therapy bodies in each State and Territory regarding the planning and delivery
of cancer services.
Access to breast
screening
Recommendation
30
5.12 The Committee recommends
that the target age groups for BreastScreen Australia and the National
Cervical Screening Program should be reviewed regularly, given the increasing
trends in life expectancy for Australian women. In addition, a review should be
conducted of how women outside the age limits are made aware of their cancer
risk.
Cancer care for adolescents
Recommendation
31
5.30 The Committee recommends
that Cancer Australia consider the development of appropriate referral pathways
that take account of the particular difficulties confronted by adolescents with
cancer.
Recommendation
32
5.36 The Committee recommends
that State and Territory Governments recognise the difficulties experienced by
adolescent cancer patients being placed with inappropriate age groups and
examine the feasibility of establishing specialised adolescent cancer care
units in public hospitals.
Improving data collection
Recommendation
33
5.55 The Committee recommends
that Cancer Australia, in consultation with State and Territory Governments and
the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, take a leadership role in
coordinating the development of a national approach to the collection of cancer
staging data.
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