Point of care cancer treatment information for primary health care providers
A deficit in the availability of cancer treatment information for general practitioners and primary health care professionals was identified by Cancer Australia in 2007. The Cancer Institute NSW, in collaboration with Cancer Australia, aimed to address this gap by providing information at the point of care using the eviQ cancer treatments online resource.
Primary health care has its own home page on the eviQ
website. This includes filtered versions of full treatment
protocols with a focus on clinical considerations, alerts and side
effects. To ensure general practitioners and nurses have
access to quality cancer resources provided by other organisations,
eviQ primary care links directly to those sites; thus minimising
time spent searching the web.
Method
A national primary health care reference committee was formed;
members include general practitioners, practice and community
nurses and educators. Primary health care relevant summaries for
breast and colorectal cancer treatment protocols were
developed. Additional information specific to the needs of
the primary care audience was produced, including links to cancer
resources, cancer relevant Medicare Benefit Schedule item numbers,
clinical devices, communication templates and staging.
Funding was extended to include prostate, lung, gynaecological,
neurological and melanoma tumour groups in 2010.
Results
Primary health care registrations for eviQ have increased 58 per
cent from June to October this year, with positive feedback
received from users. An added value has been enhanced
cohesion between primary and tertiary care through accessing the
same information. Additionally, the program focus has
provided relevant information for users from each state and
territory, and from rural, remote, regional and metropolitan
settings.
Conclusion
eviQ primary health care content is a unique resource that
supports and fosters quality cancer care in the primary care
setting. As other resources become available (referral
pathways, cancer services directories, long term survivorship
information), these will be added to eviQ. This will continue
to ensure people with cancer receive best evidence-based care.
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