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eviQ: the evolution of cancer treatments online

Industry news

Issue 5, September 2010

Since its birth as CI-SCaT in 2004, eviQ, the Cancer Institute NSW web-based portal of evidence based cancer treatment, has grown to being used in over 90 per cent of all Australian cancer centres and more than 70 countries around the world.

When the Cancer Institute NSW came into being in 2004, it assumed responsibility for an intranet cancer treatment resource developed by Professor Robyn Ward, for the South Eastern Sydney Area Health Service. CI-SCaT (Cancer Institute's Standard Cancer Treatments Program) built upon this framework and developed to deliver credible, consistent, comprehensive, current, and accurate cancer treatment information at the point of care.

The resource grew with the establishment of expert reference committees to ensure cancer treatments were based on the best available evidence, and in touch with clinicians on the ground.

With the popularity of CI-SCaT, came an increased responsibility to deliver additional information on evidence based practice and to understand the needs of those using the site. As a result a new site, eviQ, was launched in October 2009, with these specific capabilities.

The eviQ platform provides users with information, tools and resources that mirror the clinical workflow, with smart navigation, quick access to information, and the ability to rapidly view routinely used information.

The Cancer Institute NSW is now able to report on the mass of data generated by the eviQ platform and understand eviQ users and how they use the site.

The eviQ implementation and user profile of the first six months of eviQ operation was launched at the Cancer Nursing Society of Australia Winter Congress (CNSA) in July. The report documented the steady growth of the resource, which has on average 49,000 hits each day. But these hits aren't just generated within Australia.

Although eviQ is used in every NSW Area Health Service and 90 per cent of Australian cancer centres, the resource has travelled internationally, with five per cent of users coming from 70 countries and 363 cities across the world. The most common overseas users come from Canada, New Zealand and Ireland.

Health professionals make up 95 per cent of eviQ users with patient/carers representing five per cent of total registrants. The mix of users across Australia is fairly consistent, with the two territories having slightly higher usage by patients and carers and the Northern Territory with higher usage by primary health care professionals.

Health professionals with more than five years experience in the workforce are the largest eviQ user group in Australia, representing 60 per cent of nurses and 50 per cent of medical practitioners that use the site.

The aim of eviQ is to provide information 'point of care', when the medical practitioner has the patient in front of them. Usage statistics indicates this is occurring as the majority of eviQ usage is during the hours from 8 am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. eviQ is used steadily out of hours and over the weekend providing support at times when services may have limited alternative resources available.