The ACSC have led multiple statewide, large-scale funded survivorship care projects, with the broad aim of improving cancer survivorship care across Victoria. This page describes various projects that the ACSC have led after receiving external funding. This page also includes information about the Victorian Cancer Survivorship Program (VCSP).
Embed and spread optimal cancer survivorship care across Victoria 2020-2022
The information below provides a summary of activity and results of the Embed and spread optimal cancer survivorship care across Victoria (Embed and spread) project. This project was funded by the Victorian Government from 2020 – 2022 and incorporated Project 1: Virtual roadshow and baseline survey, and Project 2: Expansion of mycareplan.org.au.
Project 1: Virtual roadshow and baseline survey (September 2020 – March 2022)
- Delivered webinars on cancer survivorship care to 20 Victorian health services
- Collected baseline data on cancer survivorship care practices from 20 health services and provided a summary report with recommendations to enhance care
- Supported 7 services to implement a survivorship quality improvement initiative
- Collected follow-up data to evaluate project impact
The Victorian Survivorship Care Data Report 2022 provides de-identified comparative statewide data of the 20 Victorian health services that participated in the baseline site survey, as part of the Embed and spread project. The report includes data on:
- Presence of a survivorship care policy
- Models of survivorship care
- Use of survivorship care plans
- Information provision
- Assessing survivorship issues
- Availability of services to support survivorship issues
- Collection of survivorship outcomes
- Strengths and challenges with the provision of survivorship care
Project 2: Expansion of mycareplan.org.au (February 2021 – December 2021)
Expanded mycareplan.org.au to from 3 to 6 cancer types, now available for: early stage breast, early stage bowel, localised prostate, early-stage melanoma, uterine cancer (endometrial), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (diffuse large B-cell).
Key activities
Baseline site survey
Responses were collected from all sites and collated into a report.
Virtual roadshow
- 111/472 (24%) attendees completed evaluation surveys following the webinars.
- 97% (108/111) rated the webinar as good, very good or excellent
- 98% (109/111) reported an increase in knowledge and awareness of survivorship care
- 99% (110/111) said they would like use information from the webinar when caring for survivors.
Summary report with recommendations
This report summarised a selection of findings from the site’s baseline survey and offered six key recommendations for the site to consider implementing to enhance the survivorship care they were already providing. Recommendations were similar for each site, could be readily adopted, and took into consideration each sites current levels of resourcing. Recommendations broadly focused on:
- Referral to mycareplan.org.au to support SCP development
- Information provision, including referral to the Common Survivorship Issues Directory
- Referral to Cancer Council 13 11 20
- Referral to their local Cancer Council Cancer Wellness Program
- Completion of survivorship professional development, including Cancer Survivorship; an online introductory course for cancer survivorship hosted on eviQ Education.
Implementation support
Tailored implementation support was provided to seven sites from August 2021 to January 2022. It involved two project officers at the ACSC remotely supporting sites to implement a survivorship care quality improvement initiative. Quality improvement initiatives across these sites broadly focused on information provision, the implementation of survivorship appointments and the evaluation of established survivorship clinics.
Follow-up survey
The follow-up survey sought feedback from all sites on the recommendations provided in the summary report, and any perceived changes in survivorship care awareness, knowledge and confidence at the site after participating in this project. Sites that participated in the implementation phase of the project also received survey questions evaluating its effectiveness.
- 100% (10/10) of sites agreed that their involvement in the project raised awareness of survivorship care at their site
- 100% (10/10) agreed or strongly agreed that their involvement in the project increased awareness of survivorship resources available and how to access them
- 90% (9/10) agreed that their involvement in the project increased knowledge about survivorship.
Final site report
An individualised final site report was provided to the 18 sites (data from 3 sites within a precinct combined) in March 2022. This report provided state-wide comparative data of responses to select questions from the baseline site survey, so sites could compare their responses to other services across Victoria. Data was de-identified, with each site able to identify only their response. Regional and metropolitan site data comparisons were provided for select questions. The report also included a summary of the follow-up survey data, including de-identified state-wide comparative data of responses.
The project has expanded the current mycareplan.org.au interface to include an additional three cancer types. It allows users to produce comprehensive and evidence-based SCPs for
- early-stage melanoma,
- non-Hodgkin lymphoma (diffuse large B cell (DLBCL))
- uterine cancer (endometrial).
These complement the existing SCPs for
- early stage breast,
- early stage bowel
- localised prostate cancer.
The project was delivered within a ten month time frame, on time and within budget.
Establishment phase
The Embed and Spread project team were committed to working with NGOs to achieve optimal care and outcomes for cancer survivors in addition to this being a key deliverable in this project. Reference groups were formulated and engagement with stakeholders was undertaken.
Research, content development and refinement
Comprehensive research and core content development was undertaken. Relevant national and international evidence based clinical guidelines and information were used. Members for each reference group contributed expertise, assessed content and guided refinement. As a result, six databases were developed. Two for each cancer type housing detailed and relevant ‘Treatment’ and ‘Well-being’ sections.
Design and web development
The usage metrics have been updated to provide more details on sessions and users by region and cities. This is available for all six cancer types available on and can be tracked monthly. Further personalisation of the care plan allows survivors to add their staging details to their cancer diagnosis.
Comprehensive targeted user testing
65 testers were recruited, 30 consumers and 35 subject experts. Consumer and subject experts indicated side effects information, well-being and self-help information as relevant and the care plan easy to download and share.
User testing undertaken showed that for those who responded:
- 100% (65/65) indicated mycareplan.org.au as easy to use
- 97% (62/64) indicated the language as easy to understand
- 94% (60/64) would recommend the site to others
- 90% (27/30) of consumers were highly satisfied with the care plan generated
- Consumer and subject experts indicated side effects information, well-being and self-help information as relevant and the care plan easy to download and share.
All feedback was assessed. Decisions made were undertaken by consensus with reference groups and the project team. Changes included:
- Increased linkages to primary and community-based services
- Content refinement
- Expansion of the psychosocial content to include loss of self, impact on carers plus finances /return to work sections
- Addition of optional staging section
Promotion and Go-live
Promotion and dissemination
A communication and promotion plan was developed and undertaken in two phases announcing the expansion of mycareplan.org.au to include three new cancer types and announcing go-live and available for use.
Pivotal to the project’s success was the robust establishment phase, comprehensive research and content refinement, collaboration and engagement with reference group members and external stakeholders and a comprehensive targeted user testing. Key highlights of this project included 1) developing partnerships and working relationships with multiple stakeholders and 2) strong evaluation data.
The project team acknowledge the support of all health professionals, consumers and experts who have helped to develop and achieve this valuable resource.
Victorian Statewide Collaboration to Improve Cancer Survivorship Care
Victorian Integrated Cancer Service (VICS) funding has been approved to allow VICS and the ACSC to commence a strategic collaboration to co-design and implement a statewide approach to survivorship care. This will be a 24-month program of work, April 2022 – March 2024, with three broad project objectives:
- Address VICS Implementation Plan area 8a. Facilitate high quality survivorship care through supporting member services to ensure appropriate policies are in place and adhered to. Specifically, the Victorian Quality Cancer Survivorship Care Framework and Template (2021).
- Address VICS Implementation Plan area 8b. Facilitate high quality survivorship care through collaborating to implement survivorship care models.
- Improve VICS and member services’ confidence, capacity and capability around survivorship care.
An experience-based co-design approach will be utilised throughout project delivery and learnings and momentum created by the Embed and spread project will be leveraged. Specifically, in co-designing the approach to achieving Objective 2, we will be guided by what hospitals told us in the Embed spread baseline site survey regarding their survivorship care practices and what they would like further support on.
For more information about this project, please contact [email protected].
VICTORIAN CANCER SURVIVORSHIP PROGRAM
The VCSP grants scheme represents a significant investment by the Department of Health that has supported a diverse program of survivorship activity in Victoria since 2011.
The first phase of VCSP (2011-2014) funded six pilot projects, with a focus on trialling collaborative models of care across acute, and primary and community care sectors.
In 2016, an evaluation of VCSP I was undertaken.
To support consistent reporting from funded projects, an evaluation and outcomes framework was developed in 2016.
Building on the success of VCSP, the second phase (2016-2019) funded 24 projects with a focus on six objectives: implement models of post-treatment care shared across acute and primary care; create effective partnerships and capacity building; improve experiences in the post-treatment phase; contribute to the survivorship evidence base; understand the needs of specific groups; and evaluate all models with reference to the evaluation and outcomes framework.
Evaluation of the Victorian Cancer Survivorship Program Phase II
In 2019 a whole of program evaluation of VCSP II was undertaken, which considered the VCSP II evaluation and outcomes framework and involved a broad range of stakeholders. The bulk of this was done externally by Alison Coughlan, following a tender process. The evaluation has resulted in two reports that cover the work of the VCSP II projects, up to May 2019:
This report provides key evaluation findings and recommendations. It includes some background and context for VCSP II, including the lessons learned from VCSP I that shaped VCSP II design. The key evaluation findings are mapped to the six overarching objectives of VCSP II.
This source report is a larger document (over 100 pages) which describes each of the 24 VCSP II funded projects in detail. Project outcomes are mapped to a series of domains in the VCSP II evaluation and outcomes framework. Detailed findings from each of the whole of program evaluation consultations are also included.
Please note: Both of these reports cover data up to May 2019. 11 of 24 projects were complete at that time. 12 of 24 were completed between June and October 2019, with the remaining project due for completion in June 2020. We anticipate that updated summary results will be available in 2020. The evaluation was undertaken prior to all projects being complete, to inform planning for the Victorian Cancer Plan 2020-2024.
To see this infographic being created, watch this brief video. Artist: Jessamy Gee, 2019.
For more information on VCSP, visit the Department of Health website.
Networking Opportunities
Survivorship Community of Practice
ACSC convenes the Victorian Survivorship Community of Practice, on behalf of the Department of Health. These full-day forums bring together people who share a passion for cancer survivorship to share learnings, access the latest evidence-based resources, and develop sustainable changes to service design and delivery.
For information about the next Community of Practice please visit our health professionals events page.
Survivorship collaborative workspace
Members of the free, online collaborative workspace have access to a discussion board, presentations, tools and network contacts. For access, email [email protected].
