Background
Cancer incidence is expected to rise significantly over the next 25 years. Optimal survivorship care according to the COSA Model of Survivorship Care can meet the ongoing needs of cancer survivors. There is considerable variation in the provision of survivorship care across Australia’s health system and there are a number of reported barriers, including workforce issues. Understanding the barriers in NSW can help inform health system improvements and policy recommendations.
Aim
To understand the extent of “optimal” survivorship care received by cancer survivors in NSW as well as reported barriers.
Methods
Adults with a current cancer diagnosis (recently diagnosed or in active treatment) or past cancer diagnosis (completed active treatment within the last 3 months or over 3 months ago) in NSW were invited to complete an online survey. Invitations to participate were promoted to Cancer Council NSW’s social media and online mailing lists, including its CanAct database of advocacy supporters. Invitations were also promoted through networks and stakeholders. Participants were asked whether they received optimal survivorship care during diagnosis, treatment, and/or follow-up.
Results
This study aims to collect 400 responses by October 2023. Preliminary findings from 106 participants, of which 37% had a current cancer diagnosis and 63% had a past cancer diagnosis, showed that the majority (60%) believed that survivorship care should start at diagnosis. However, 95% of all participants did not receive a survivorship care plan or did not know if they had received one. The most common unmet need for those with a current diagnosis was access to care coordinators or nurse specialists. Top reported barriers included a lack of awareness and availability of services, not being able to secure an appointment and residing too far away. The most common unmet needs for people who had a past diagnosis were access to specialists (oncologist), exercise physiologists, psychologist/counsellor, and occupational therapists. Top reported barriers included cost, not being able to make an appointment and not receiving a referral from a treating doctor to see a neurologist or cosmetic surgeon.
Conclusion
The proposed research aims to build on the existing literature by exploring the provision of optimal survivorship care and health system barriers in NSW. Findings from this work will help identify policy solutions to improve survivorship care across the state that address the individual needs of cancer survivors.