KEY MESSAGESTable 1. About Optimal Cancer Care Pathways

Topic Messages

A nationally endorsed approach

Optimal Cancer Care Pathways are national guides to the best cancer care for specific tumour types.The pathways describe the key stages in a patient’s cancer journey and expected optimal care at each stage to ensure all people diagnosed with cancer get the best possible care, regardless of where they live or have cancer treatment. The pathways also ensure that those providing care understand how to coordinate patient care between each stage.To help people with cancer receive the best possible care, Optimal Cancer Care Pathways have been developed for 15 cancer types. Each jurisdiction will be adopting Optimal Cancer Care Pathways, based on priorities identified within their cancer services and systems.Each pathway maps the key stages in a cancer patient’s journey from diagnosis to survivorship or end-of-life care and describes the key principles and expected standards of care at each point.For each cancer pathway there are three versions:A detailed clinical pathway for cancer specialists, health professionals and health service administratorsQuick reference guide for GPs – to familiarise GPs and primary care providers with the care pathwayPatient ‘what to expect’ guides – to assist patients and people affected by cancer to understand the care pathway and what to expect at each stage.Detailed pathways, quick reference guides and patient guides have been developed for 15 tumour types: acute myeloid leukaemia breast cancer colorectal cancer endometrial cancer head and neck cancers hepatocellular carcinoma high-grade glioma cancer hodgkins lymphoma and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma lung cancer melanoma non-melanoma skin cancers oesophagogastric cancer ovarian cancer pancreatic cancer prostate cancer

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Topic Messages

The development of Optimal Cancer Care Pathways

The Optimal Cancer Care Pathways were developed as part of a national work plan to improve cancer care across Australia, led by the National Cancer Expert Reference Group (NCERG).Optimal Cancer Care Pathways were developed to ensure people with cancer receive the best possible care by describing optimal standards of care at each stage across tumour streams.Each pathway was developed by an expert group including clinicians specialising in treatment of the particular tumour, GPs and consumers, and in consultation with medical colleges and peak health organisations.The Optimal Cancer Care Pathways have been endorsed by the National Cancer Expert Reference Group, Cancer Australia and Cancer Council Australia.

Purpose and intended use

The adoption of Optimal Cancer Care Pathways is being supported in all states and territories to ensure consistent, optimal cancer care across Australia.The aim is to improve patient outcomes by facilitating optimal care across Australia using evidence-based, best practice pathways of care.Patient treatment regimens will vary, but the principles and expectations of optimal cancer care are constant.

Service improvement

Optimal Cancer Care Pathways can be used by health services and professionals as a tool to identify gaps in current cancer services and inform quality improvement initiatives across all aspects of the care pathway.

Best practice The detailed Optimal Cancer Care Pathways are intended for cancer specialists, health professionals and health service administrators. They describe the key principles and best practice at critical points in the continuum of care to ensure optimal patient management.

Collaboration with patients

Optimal Cancer Care Pathways can be used by clinicians and health professionals as an information resource to promote discussion and collaboration with patients and people affected by cancer.

Patient guides The ‘What to expect’ guides are designed to help patients and people affected by cancer to understand their pathway through the often complex health system.The ‘What to expect’ guides for patients and people affected by cancer map the pathways for 15 tumour types in an easily understandable format. They describe the typical stages in a patient’s journey and what to expect at each stage to help patients make informed decisions and ask questions of their health professionals to ensure they receive the best care and support they need.The ‘What to expect’ guides can prompt patients to ask the right questions about their care pathway.

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Topic Messages

Commitment to the adoption of Optimal Cancer Care Pathways

[Organisation/service/jurisdiction] is committed to making sure every cancer patient in [state/territory/region] gets the best patient-centred care and experience.Using the Optimal Cancer Care Pathways will ensure our cancer services [and/or hospitals/health services, clinicians, health professionals] provide consistent and optimal treatment and supportive care at each stage of a patient’s cancer journey.Pathways describe current best practice and requirements at key points in the cancer pathway to facilitate a consistent approach and optimal, patient-centred care for all people diagnosed with cancer.Everyone involved in our cancer services contributes to safe and high quality patient care and a positive patient experience. They will follow and refer to the Optimal Cancer Care Pathways to ensure consistency, coordination and quality of care.

Table 2. Benefits of Optimal Cancer Care Pathways: messages for specific audience

Audience Messages

Cancer clinicians and health professionals

The Optimal Cancer Care Pathways detail key principles and recommendations for optimal care at critical points in the cancer continuum, from prevention and identification through to survivorship or end-of-life care.The pathways describe current best practice, based on clinical guidelines, consensus statements, care pathways, standards and evidence to support optimal care at each stage.They are not detailed clinical practice guidelines. They are not intended to provide medical advice or replace clinical judgement.Pathways can be used to promote multidisciplinary discussion, as well as to support collaboration and communication with people affected by cancer.

Health service management and administrators

Optimal Cancer Care Pathways provide a guide for service improvement.The pathways align with key service improvement priorities in health, ensuring patients have access to coordinated and multidisciplinary treatment and supportive care, and reducing variations in practice.The Optimal Cancer Care Pathways enable service providers to better plan and coordinate service delivery, identify the investigations, therapies, clinical expertise, facilities and support needed at each key point of the patient journey, and resources required to enable optimal patient care and support.Optimal Cancer Care Pathways reflect and describe the best available standards of care so can be used as educational and/or audit tools to improve clinical outcomes and patient experience.Supporting the adoption of Optimal Cancer Care Pathways demonstrates our commitment to national standards, and quality and safety in cancer care to support ongoing service improvement and accreditation.

Private sector The Optimal Cancer Care Pathways apply to all cancer care, provided in public and private services.Private cancer care providers can adopt and promote Optimal Cancer Care Pathways to demonstrate they are committed to best practice and meet recommended national standards of cancer care.

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Audience Messages

GPs, primary and community care providers, practice managers

The Optimal Cancer Care Pathway quick reference guides and patient guides help [GPs, primary care providers] when talking to patients about their cancer treatment pathway and what to expect at each stage.

Using the guides Use the quick reference guides to familiarise yourself with the tumour-specific pathway, including recommended care and support at each stage.You can import the quick reference guides and patient version PDFs into your GP software.

Recommending guides to patients

The ‘What to expect’ guides for patients and people affected by cancer map the pathways for 15 tumour types in an easily understandable format.Help your patients and their family and carers to understand the cancer care pathway and get the best possible care. Print the relevant ‘What to expect’ guide for newly diagnosed cancer patients and/or refer them to www.cancerpathways.org.au

Best practice Optimal Cancer Care Pathways reflect and describe national standards of cancer care. Use of the pathways in primary care demonstrates commitment to best practice, quality and safety.

Patients and carers For someone just diagnosed with cancer, the pathway through treatment can be hard to understand. It usually involves many different health professionals and services.Optimal Cancer Care Pathways have been developed to help patients and people affected by cancer to understand the usual steps during and after treatment, and what to expect at each stage.

About the patient portal and guides

To help people with cancer receive the best possible care, Optimal Cancer Care Pathways have been developed for 15 cancer types. As well as detailed clinical pathways for doctors and cancer services, there are versions for patients and guides for GPs.The cancer pathways website and “What to expect” guides explain the usual pathways through and after treatment for 15 cancer types. You can use the guides to understand what care to expect and questions you can ask your health professionals to make sure you get the best care and support at each stage.You can use the interactive pathways website or print an information sheet for your cancer type at www.cancerpathways.org.au.

Table 3. Monitoring Progress of Optimal Cancer Care Pathways

Audience Messages

Health service management, administrators

Monitoring the adoption of Optimal Cancer Care Pathways enables service providers to identify where there is variation in cancer care and what is needed to help services align with the pathways.Embedding monitoring of progress within existing data capabilities, systems and daily workflows is likely to be the most effective option for establishing baseline measures and informing quality improvement activities.Monitoring the progress of Optimal Cancer Care Pathway adoption will provide leverage for future service delivery planning and identify the necessary systems required to support continuous improvement and best practice cancer care.

Patients and carer Cancer services can learn a lot from the experiences of patients and people

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Audience Messagesaffected by cancer. Understanding patients’ experiences will inform improvements to cancer services to ensure that patients and people affected by cancer receive well-coordinated and supportive care.

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