Clinical Pathways
The term 'cancer pathways' can be used to describe referral and treatment guidance for both health professionals and people with cancer. A clinical pathway explicitly states that the goals and key elements of care are based on clinical guidelines, and best available evidence. It acknowledges patients expectations by facilitating communication, coordiating roles and sequencing the activities of the multidisciplinary care team, patients and their families; by documenting, monitoring and evaluating variances; and by providing the necessary resources and outcomes. The aim of a clinical pathway is to improve the quality of care, reduce risks, and increase patient satisfaction and increase efficiency in the use of resources. In Australia, an example of clinical pathways are those developed by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) for colorectal, lung, epithelial, ovarian and breast cancer (younger women, early, advanced), prostate cancer and psychosocial care of adults with cancer. |  |
Patient Pathways
Patient Pathways aim to assist people with cancer to understand and navigate the journey ahead, providing information such as the tests and treatments most likely to be needed for a particular cancer. They are also useful for primary care health professionals and consumers to follow the likely referral and treatment pathways for particular cancers.
The CanNET NT Project has developed referral and treatment pathways for five common cancers within the Northern Territory; Lung, Breast, Head and Neck, Bowel and Prostate. The first stage in developing such pathways was to undertake a patient audit of the experiences and medical records of a sample of people who have received services related to cancer treatment in the NT.
The audit goals were to:
- Enhance the coordination and continuity of care.
- Develop a role delineation framework.
- Develop and implement a streamlined referral system.
- Improve communication between, and sharing of patient information between service providers.
- Improve the quality of cancer services offered.
- Provide access to best practice clinical guidelines.
The Project Team interviewed people with cancer (and their families) to find out about waiting times, what worked well during treatment and what could be improved. People who live in urban and rural/remote areas, and who are Indigenous, English speaking non-Indigenous, and non-English-speaking non-Indigenous were included in the project. In addition, people's stories were linked to their medical charts to begin to develop an understanding of timelines for treatment and referral for cancer services in the NT. The information from the audit informed the development of referral and treatment pathways related to cancer in the Territory.
The second stage in developing treatment and referral pathways involved consultation with working groups who had expertise in providing cancer care for particular cancers within the NT, for example, care for breast and lung cancer.
The five Patient Pathway booklets have been printed and disseminated to Hospitals, Remote Health Clinics and stakeholders across the Territory. Online versions of the Patient Pathways and Patient Audit are available on the Publications page.
