Innovation in cancer treatment information delivery
Utilising the existing eviQ Cancer Treatments Online resource that is currently used extensively in the hospital setting, Cancer Australia have funded a project to provide cancer treatment information for primary care clinicians
Background
The focus for the additions to eviQ is general practitioners,
community and practice nurses, and remote and rural clinicians. In
the primary care area breast and colorectal tumours have been
populated, and further funding has been provided to populate lung,
prostate and gynaecological tumours, by July 2010.
Summary
As cancer incidence rates rise and the population continues to
age, the need for quality information for all clinicians relating
to a cancer patient's care will continue to be a high
priority. The delivery of best practice care to cancer
patients requires a sound understanding of the contemporary
literature, key evidence and internationally accepted
standards. It also involves the administration of cytotoxic
drugs and managing the associated side effects 24 hours per
day. In an environment where services lack the specialised
expertise and resources to maintain currency of the increasingly
complex cancer care, rural and remote clinicians may find access to
evidence based information challenging.
The delivery of best practice care to
cancer patients requires a sound understanding of the contemporary
literature, key evidence and internationally accepted
standards.
Additionally, practice based assessment and teaching and
learning can be challenging if information is not readily available
and easily understood. The differing levels of clinician and
clinical expertise coupled with the differing levels of required
knowledge all lend itself to the need for a flexible, comprehensive
cancer treatment information resource that can cater for a wide
range of users. eviQ - Cancer Treatments Online (formerly
CI-SCaT), an Australian based resource launched in September 2009,
provides access to over 900 peer reviewed online cancer treatments
and protocols. eviQ blends evidence with practical realities
and is available at no cost to the user.
The addition of the primary care content area further enhances
the eviQ resource and provides cohesion between the primary,
secondary and tertiary health settings. This primary care
content area includes, but is not limited to treatment and side
effect management, clinical tools, an opioid conversion calculator,
safe handling of cytotoxics, resources and links, and tumour
specific resources and information.
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