Edition 3 July 2010 - GHA Central
Edition 3 July 2010 - GHA Central
Edition 3 July 2010 - GHA Central
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NEWSLETTER<br />
Issue No 3 <strong>July</strong> <strong>2010</strong><br />
www.gha.net.au/grics<br />
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:<br />
Haematology MDC<br />
meetings<br />
Multidisciplinary<br />
care<br />
2<br />
2<br />
Supportive care 3<br />
Do you need cancer<br />
data?<br />
What’s new on the<br />
GRICS website<br />
3<br />
4<br />
Contact information 4<br />
Upcoming meetings<br />
and events<br />
Service mapping<br />
project<br />
4<br />
5<br />
Cancer learning 5<br />
GRICS Consumer Forum<br />
Janice Ford<br />
On Friday 16 th <strong>July</strong>, GRICS in collaboration with the Leukaemia Foundation, will be hosting<br />
our annual Consumer Forum.<br />
The focus of the forum is “Survivorship” with guest speakers Carrie Lethborg and Dr.Kaye<br />
Birks presenting on the day. The Forum is a free event for Gippsland cancer patients, their<br />
families and carers and will be held at Century Inn Traralgon<br />
from 10:30am- 2:30pm. Lunch and refreshments will be provided<br />
on the day and “goodie bags” available for all attendees.<br />
Last year there were 90 consumers attend and this year we are<br />
hoping to attract similar numbers. Whilst providing valuable<br />
information, the forum also provides an avenue through which<br />
consumers are able to raise issues with cancer service provision<br />
in the Gippsland region. Identifying service “gaps” facilitates opportunity for service<br />
improvement to the benefit of patients and health professionals alike.<br />
Advertising will be through local newspapers, radio, community groups and we are also<br />
hoping to use the forum as a springboard for our Consumer Advocacy Training Workshop<br />
(see below). To register please contact Janice Ford 035128 0140, Erme Maxwell 035173 8859<br />
or Judy Woods 035173 6804<br />
Consumer Advocacy Training<br />
Workshop<br />
Cancer Treatment Information for<br />
Health Professionals<br />
Managers report 6<br />
Gippsland<br />
chemotherapy nurse<br />
preceptorship<br />
project<br />
GRICS<br />
Postal Address:<br />
PO Box 424<br />
Traralgon Vic 3844<br />
Website:<br />
www.gha.net.au/grics<br />
Phone Number:<br />
5128 0138<br />
Fax Number:<br />
5128 0198<br />
6<br />
From interest generated through the<br />
Consumer Forum and previous<br />
expressions of interest from Gippsland<br />
cancer patients, GRICS are conducting a<br />
Consumer Advocacy Training Workshop<br />
on the weekend of the 14 & 15 August at<br />
Century Inn Traralgon. The workshop is<br />
being facilitated by the Health Issues<br />
Centre with both local and metropolitan<br />
speakers presenting over the two days.<br />
The aim of this workshop is to provide a<br />
basis on which Gippsland cancer patients<br />
can build on to form a Consumer<br />
Reference Group representing cancer<br />
patients across the region. The workshop<br />
is limited to a maximum of 20 consumers<br />
(a minimum of two years post initial<br />
diagnosis). Further information can be<br />
obtained by contacting Janice Ford<br />
035128 0140 or jford@lrh.com.au<br />
EviQ is a cancer treatment information website<br />
that is used extensively in the hospital setting in<br />
NSW and other areas of Australia. The primary<br />
care content area was able to be provided due<br />
to funding from Cancer Australia.<br />
This is particularly useful for the rural or remote<br />
GPs who don't have the close proximity<br />
support of their patient's specialist.<br />
Information on the site undergoes a rigorous<br />
governance process before it is uploaded and<br />
clinicians involved in developing the<br />
information are unbiased and currently working<br />
in the relevant setting; protocols are evidence<br />
based and consensus driven. There are<br />
dedicated areas for medical oncology, radiation<br />
oncology, nursing, primary care, haematology,<br />
HPCT and Cancer Genetics (in development).<br />
Formally known as CI-SCaT, eviQ is available<br />
online free (registration is required) at<br />
http://www.eviQ.org.au<br />
"The Integrated Cancer Services are<br />
funded by the Victorian Government<br />
as part of Victoria's cancer reforms"
Page 2<br />
Issue No 3 <strong>July</strong> <strong>2010</strong><br />
www.gha.net.au/grics<br />
Haematology MDC meetings<br />
Janice Ford<br />
GRICS first Haematology MDC team<br />
meeting was held on the 3 rd June.<br />
These meetings were established as a<br />
means by which newly diagnosed<br />
patients and complex patients with<br />
blood malignancies living in the<br />
Gippsland region can have their case<br />
discussed within a multidisciplinary environment.<br />
The meeting proved to be invaluable with treatments and clinical<br />
trials being discussed which may not have been readily available /<br />
accessible for Gippsland patients in the past. It is also a wonderful<br />
learning opportunity for health professionals.<br />
Dr. John Scarlett chairs these meetings with specialist<br />
haematology support being provided by Professor John Seymour.<br />
The meeting was also attended by Judy Woods from the<br />
Leukaemia Foundation and nursing staff from the LRH<br />
Chemotherapy Unit. Dr. Rob Ziffer from CGHS is planning on<br />
attending future meetings. These meetings are being held every<br />
four weeks. Haematology patients from any of the Gippsland<br />
Health Services may be referred through to this meeting using<br />
the regular GRICS referral process. Attendance from referring<br />
Physicians and specialist nursing staff from Gippsland is<br />
welcomed and encouraged. Videoconferencing facilities are<br />
available at the five major Gippsland health services and can be<br />
arranged through GRICS if staff wish to use this medium to attend<br />
the meeting. Further information can be obtained by contacting<br />
Janice Ford 035128 0140 or jford@lrh.com.au<br />
Multidisciplinary Care<br />
Putting the pieces together<br />
Janice Ford<br />
The GRICS Multi disciplinary care team meetings<br />
are continuing to strengthen. The surgical meeting<br />
based at LRH every Friday morning, has now<br />
expanded and covers patients diagnosed with<br />
breast, upper GI, colorectal and skin malignancies.<br />
These meetings are held every Friday from 0800-<br />
0845 with an average of six patients discussed<br />
each week who have treatment plans developed<br />
as a result. The meetings are attended by<br />
Surgeons, Medical Oncologist, Radiation<br />
Oncologist, Pathologist,<br />
Radiologist, specialist<br />
nursing staff, allied<br />
health staff and<br />
numerous other health<br />
professionals.<br />
Patient referrals to this<br />
meeting from across the<br />
region are encouraged as<br />
a way of supporting best<br />
practice standards throughout the Gippsland<br />
region .<br />
Referral forms can be obtained from the GRICS<br />
website.<br />
Further information can be obtained by contacting<br />
Janice Ford 035128 0140 or jford@lrh.com.au<br />
GRICS would like to welcome the following staff to the MDC Team<br />
Mr Clem Smith<br />
Surgeon BRHS<br />
Mr Steuart Rorke<br />
Pathologist<br />
Gippsland Pathology<br />
Assoc. Professor<br />
John Seymour<br />
Director Haematology<br />
Peter MacCallum<br />
Mr Cyril Tsan<br />
Surgeon WGHG<br />
Dr Ben Hindson<br />
Radiation Oncologist<br />
William Buckland<br />
Radiotherapy<br />
Gippsland<br />
"The Integrated Cancer Services are<br />
funded by the Victorian Government<br />
as part of Victoria's cancer reforms"
Page 3<br />
Issue No 3 <strong>July</strong> <strong>2010</strong><br />
www.gha.net.au/grics<br />
Supportive Care<br />
Michelle McKimmie<br />
The focus within Supportive Care this quarter has been the development of the Supportive Care Strategic Plan <strong>2010</strong> –<br />
2013 and an accompanying Operational Plan which will provide the direction forward for supportive care across the<br />
region for the coming twelve months. An Organisational Checklist has also been completed as part of the strategic<br />
process to inform future planning.<br />
GRICS has supported three free education sessions of the evidence-based Victorian Cancer Clinician’s Communication<br />
Program titled “Eliciting & Responding to Emotional Cues”. Sessions were held at West Gippsland Healthcare Group,<br />
<strong>Central</strong> Gippsland Health Service and Bairnsdale Regional Health Service with cancer clinicians being skilled<br />
in addressing complex communication issues. Further education opportunities will be offered to other Gippsland<br />
Health Services, in conjunction with the Cancer Council Victoria in the coming months.<br />
The Supportive Care website has also undergone a “make-over” with access to a suite of resources for both health<br />
professionals and consumers, including podcasts and educational opportunities. It is a work in progress with the aim<br />
to continually add to the site so that GRICS can offer a comprehensive and current reserve of cancer information for<br />
the region. Please check it out and why not put the GRICS website shortcut on your desktop for easy access.<br />
Further information can be obtained by contacting Michelle McKimmie on 035128 0059 or mmckimmie@lrh.com.au<br />
Do you need cancer data?<br />
Maria Garrett<br />
Are you trying to find data about cancer activity at your health service?<br />
Do you need to know how many people are diagnosed with prostate cancer in East Gippsland per year?<br />
GRICS may be able to help you answer some of these kinds of questions. We have available to us some resources not<br />
readily available:<br />
• An extract of the VAED (Victorian Admitted Episodes Dataset) which includes all admissions at Gippsland health<br />
services including a neoplasm diagnosis. This data is de-identified. It can be used to see;<br />
• How many admissions at a health service involve patients with a colorectal cancer diagnosis<br />
• If there has been an increase in the number of admissions involving breast cancer patients over the past<br />
four years<br />
• What proportion of admissions for cancer patients involve surgery<br />
• What proportion of admissions for cancer patients involve chemotherapy<br />
• The number of admissions involving patients from outside the local area<br />
• Cancer incidence data from the Victorian Cancer Registry. Number of diagnosed cancers by tumour stream in<br />
Gippsland and for local government areas is available for specific purposes. Trends for the past 12 years are also<br />
available.<br />
• Chemotherapy unit activity. Information is provided to GRICS by health services with a chemotherapy unit.<br />
Regional meetings with health service representatives are held with the purpose of benchmarking activity and<br />
sharing ideas across the region.<br />
We are able to provide summary data for Gippsland as well as more detailed information for your own health service.<br />
Please contact Maria Garrett, Cancer Data & Information Analyst, on 5128 0139 or mgarrett@lrh.com.au. I am happy<br />
to discuss what information we might have that meets your needs.<br />
"The Integrated Cancer Services are<br />
funded by the Victorian Government<br />
as part of Victoria's cancer reforms"
Page 4<br />
Issue No 3 <strong>July</strong> <strong>2010</strong><br />
www.gha.net.au/grics<br />
What’s new on the GRICS website<br />
Look online at www.gha.net.au/grics<br />
• Resource lists for consumers specific to<br />
cancer groups<br />
• Supportive Care directories for regions<br />
within Gippsland<br />
• Training and education information for<br />
health professionals and consumers<br />
including videos and podcasts<br />
• A list of Cancer Support Groups<br />
registered with GRICS throughout the<br />
Gippsland region<br />
• Links to other useful sites<br />
Log on and have a look at our website, it is<br />
continually being updated with new and<br />
useful information.<br />
Contact Information<br />
Co Managers<br />
Kylie Halsall 5128 0075<br />
khalsall@lrh.com.au<br />
Louise Cristofaro 5128 0142<br />
lcristofaro@lrh.com.au<br />
Administrative Officer<br />
Enza Wright 5128 0138<br />
ewright@lrh.com.au<br />
Cancer Data and Information Analyst<br />
Maria Garrett 5128 0139<br />
mgarrett@lrh.com.au<br />
Cancer Service Improvement Coordinator<br />
Janice Ford 5128 0140<br />
jford@lrh.com.au<br />
Project Officer<br />
Peter Kevekordes 5128 0137<br />
pkevekordes@lrh.com.au<br />
Supportive Care Cancer Project Officer<br />
Michelle McKimmie 5128 0059<br />
mmckimmie@lrh.com.au<br />
Upcoming Meetings and Events<br />
<strong>July</strong> <strong>2010</strong><br />
• Every Friday 8.00am—8.40 GRICS MDT meeting William Buckland<br />
Radiotherapy Conference Room—video conference available<br />
• Thursday 15th <strong>July</strong> GCNIG Education Seminar Supportive Care<br />
Needs—using what you have! LaTrobe Convention Centre Traralgon<br />
Contact Monika Whitehead 035173 8846 mwhitehead@lrh.com.au<br />
• Friday 16th <strong>July</strong> Consumer Forum Century Inn Traralgon Contact<br />
Janice Ford 035128 0140, Erme Maxwell 035173 8859 or<br />
Judy Woods 035173 6804<br />
• Monday 19th <strong>July</strong> GRICS Business Group meeting<br />
• Thursday 29th <strong>July</strong> 5.30pm—6.15pm GRICS Haematology MDT<br />
meeting William Buckland Radiotherapy Conference Room—video<br />
conference available<br />
• Thursday 29th to Saturday 31st <strong>July</strong> Cancer Nurses Society of<br />
Australia 13th Winter Congress Perth WA http://www.cnsa<strong>2010</strong>.com/<br />
.<br />
August <strong>2010</strong><br />
• Every Friday 8.00am—8.40 GRICS MDT meeting William Buckland<br />
Radiotherapy Conference Room—video conference available<br />
• Friday 6th to Sunday 8th August Prostate Cancer Foundation of<br />
Australia Advancing Quality of Life conference Gold Coast<br />
Queensland http://www.prostate.org.au<br />
• Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th August GRICS Consumer Advocacy<br />
Training Workshop Century Inn Traralgon<br />
Contact Janice Ford 0351 280140 or jford@lrh.com.au<br />
• Thursday 19th and Friday 20th August 6th Annual National Disease<br />
Management Conference Melbourne http://www.adma.org.au<br />
• Thursday 26th August 5.30pm—6.15pm GRICS Haematology MDT<br />
meeting William Buckland Radiotherapy Conference Room—video<br />
conference available<br />
• Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd August Clinical Skills for Cancer<br />
Pharmacy Practitioners Brisbane Queensland<br />
http://cpg.iamevents.com.au/index.php<br />
September <strong>2010</strong><br />
• Every Friday 8.00am—8.40 GRICS MDT meeting William Buckland<br />
Radiotherapy Conference Room—video conference available<br />
• Wednesday 1st and Thursday 2nd September<br />
Living with cancer education program Carlton Victoria<br />
Phone: 03 9635 5312 or 13 11 20<br />
• Monday 6th September GRICS Business Group meeting<br />
• 12-18th September Australia & Asia Pacific Oncology Research<br />
Development workshop <strong>2010</strong> Sunshine Coast Queensland<br />
http://www.acordworkshop.org.au/<br />
• Thursday 23rd September 5.30pm—6.15pm GRICS Haematology<br />
MDT meeting William Buckland Radiotherapy Conference Room—<br />
video conference available<br />
"The Integrated Cancer Services are<br />
funded by the Victorian Government<br />
as part of Victoria's cancer reforms"
Page 5<br />
Issue No 3 <strong>July</strong> <strong>2010</strong><br />
www.gha.net.au/grics<br />
Service Mapping Project<br />
Peter Kevekordes<br />
Project Plan<br />
The following Project Plan was prepared for the GRICS Service Mapping Report (SMR):<br />
• Provide qualitative and quantitative data on cancer services provided across the Gippsland region;<br />
• Provide baseline data for use by GRICS and health services to evaluate cancer service improvement activities as<br />
well as measure targets listed in the Victorian Cancer Action Plan 2008 – 2011 (VCAP); and<br />
• Identify regional service gaps across each of the fourteen tumour pathways as well as opportunities to improve<br />
cancer service coordination.<br />
Project Outcomes<br />
To date, the following outcomes for the SMR have been achieved:<br />
• All GRICS member agencies have submitted SMR responses detailing the expected treatment journey for cancer<br />
patients across the fourteen tumour streams defined by the Patient Management Frameworks (PMF);<br />
(http://www.health.vic.gov.au/cancer/framework/pmfsnew.htm)<br />
• Regional report of VAED data titled ‘Hospital Separations in Gippsland involving Neoplasm Diagnosis: 2005/06 to<br />
2008/09’ (report prepared by Maria Garrett); and<br />
• Decision-making flow chart representing services provided by agencies against the optimal treatment pathway<br />
outlined in the PMF documents for each tumour stream.<br />
Project Follow-up<br />
Before proceeding with the SMR gap analysis, GRICS proposes to visit all member agencies to discuss the following:<br />
• Report on SMR outcomes recorded to-date based on the submitted work of each agency;<br />
• Verify information submitted by agencies in the SMR report;<br />
• Invite agency feedback on where they see the work of the SMR progressing; and<br />
• Invite agency feedback on the SMR process by completing an Evaluation Report.<br />
Where To From Here<br />
Whilst the SMR provides a useful snapshot of the range of<br />
services a cancer patient can access according to their tumour<br />
type and location, the report provides no evidence on how<br />
these services actually perform against recommended PMF<br />
benchmarks (ie timelines for testing following initial GP<br />
referral).<br />
Further work may involve benchmarking service outcomes<br />
against PMF service delivery recommendations.<br />
Benchmarking in this instance would be used to advance work<br />
on quality improvement and service sustainability in the<br />
following GRICS priority areas:<br />
• Reducing Unwanted Variation in Practice; and<br />
• Care Coordination.<br />
The focus of any future work on the SMR will be informed by<br />
forthcoming changes to the Multi disciplinary Care Team<br />
meeting format (the tumour streams of haematology, skin and<br />
gastro-intestinal will be added to the current focus on breast<br />
and colorectal cancers).<br />
Cancer Learning<br />
Cancer Learning: a key online resource for<br />
professionals, staff, trainees and students with an<br />
interest in cancer care<br />
Cancer Learning is an online professional<br />
development website designed specifically for<br />
health care professionals, staff, trainees and<br />
students currently working in or studying to enter a<br />
career in cancer care, developed by Cancer<br />
Australia in association with leading Australian<br />
professional bodies and cancer organisations.<br />
We would like to make you, your academic staff<br />
and students aware of the broad range of<br />
evidence-based information and learning<br />
opportunities available to them on this free, easily<br />
accessible, comprehensive website.<br />
http://www.cancerlearning.gov.au/<br />
"The Integrated Cancer Services are<br />
funded by the Victorian Government<br />
as part of Victoria's cancer reforms"
Page 6<br />
Issue No 3 <strong>July</strong> <strong>2010</strong><br />
www.gha.net.au/grics<br />
Manager’s Report<br />
Louise Cristofaro and Kylie Halsall<br />
Since the release of Victoria’s Cancer Action Plan (VCAP) 2008-2011,<br />
GRICS has been working towards increasing the number of specialist<br />
oncology trained staff in the Gippsland region, using a variety of<br />
education programs, including;<br />
• Cancer education training workshops in supportive care<br />
screening;<br />
• Victorian Cancer Clinician’s Communication Program supported by<br />
Cancer Council Victoria;<br />
• Gippsland Chemotherapy Cancer Centre Preceptor Program at<br />
Latrobe Regional Hospital; and<br />
• Gippsland-wide Education workshops on <strong>Central</strong> Venous Access<br />
Devices, facilitated by Bard Australia.<br />
All of these programs aim to improve cancer care in Gippsland<br />
through the continual improvement in the quality of evidence-based<br />
care and strengthening the engagement of all stakeholders in cancer<br />
care initiatives.<br />
In March <strong>2010</strong> GRICS developed a Scholarship Program which<br />
provided the opportunity for all medical, nursing and allied health<br />
staff from the Gippsland region, who are currently working with<br />
patients diagnosed with cancer to apply for scholarship funding from<br />
GRICS, to;<br />
• Attend a cancer related conference;<br />
• Undertake cancer related study <strong>2010</strong>;<br />
• Undertake a mentoring placement at either a metropolitan<br />
hospital or regional specialist centre (eg., Latrobe Regional<br />
Hospital);<br />
• Conduct cancer specific action research within their health<br />
service.<br />
Gippsland Chemotherapy Nurse<br />
Preceptorship Project<br />
Due to the overwhelming success and positive<br />
feedback from previous programs, GRICS have<br />
decided to once again conduct the GCNPP<br />
throughout the last six months of this year.<br />
Five one day programs (maximum of two staff<br />
each day), and two five day programs<br />
(maximum of two<br />
participants) will be<br />
offered for nurses<br />
providing services to<br />
cancer patients within the<br />
Gippsland Region. The<br />
one day workshops focus<br />
on PICCS and Ports and<br />
offer staff the opportunity<br />
to work with a preceptor<br />
within the Chemotherapy<br />
Unit at LRH.<br />
The five day programs are more intensive,<br />
providing greater exposure to Chemotherapy<br />
practices whilst remaining fully supported by a<br />
preceptor. Due to a large demand on the<br />
program in previous rotations, applications<br />
from interested staff must be received as soon<br />
as possible in order to be considered for<br />
participation.<br />
Please direct all enquiries to Janice Ford<br />
035128 0140 or jford@lrh.com.au<br />
GRICS is pleased to announce that to date they have supported 27 staff to participate in the GRICS Scholarship<br />
Program with staff applying for a range of professional Development opportunities including undertaking;<br />
• Chemotherapy Module 2 at Peter Mac<br />
• Module for Post Graduate Diploma in Cancer at Palliative Care (Melbourne University)<br />
• Psychotherapies for cancer patients and their families (University of Melbourne); and attending<br />
• Clinical Oncological Society of Australia (COSA) Annual Scientific Meeting <strong>2010</strong> (Melbourne)<br />
• Australian Lung Cancer Conference (Melbourne)<br />
• Cancer Nurses Society of Australia 13 th Winter Congress (Perth)<br />
• 11 th National Prostate Cancer Symposium (Melbourne)<br />
• Australia and New Zealand Head and Neck Cancer Society Annual Scientific Meeting (Sydney); and finally<br />
• Undertaking mentoring with an experienced oncology dietician at Monash Medical Centre.<br />
As a direct result of the success of the GRICS Scholarship Program <strong>2010</strong> and discussions between members of the<br />
GRICS team, and Gippsland stakeholders, the GRICS Governance Group has supported the continuation of the GRICS<br />
Scholarship Program <strong>2010</strong>/ 2011 (1 st <strong>July</strong> <strong>2010</strong> – June 30 th 2011)<br />
For further details please go to the GRICS website or contact Enza Wright on 035128 0138 or ewright@lrh.com.au<br />
"The Integrated Cancer Services are<br />
funded by the Victorian Government<br />
as part of Victoria's cancer reforms"