Genetics for Health Professionals in Cancer Care

2014 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Health Professionals ◽  
Cancer Care

scholarly journals Developing an Intranet-Based Lymphedema Dashboard for Breast Cancer Multidisciplinary Teams: Design Research Study (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Janssen ◽  
Candice Donnelly ◽  
Judy Kay ◽  
Peter Thiem ◽  
Aldo Saavedra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Clinical Data ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Multidisciplinary Team ◽  
Cancer Care ◽  
Design Research ◽  
Clinical Decision Making ◽  
Multidisciplinary Teams ◽  
Semistructured Interview

BACKGROUND A large quantity of data is collected during the delivery of cancer care. However, once collected, these data are difficult for health professionals to access to support clinical decision making and performance review. There is a need for innovative tools that make clinical data more accessible to support health professionals in these activities. One approach for providing health professionals with access to clinical data is to create the infrastructure and interface for a clinical dashboard to make data accessible in a timely and relevant manner. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to develop and evaluate 2 prototype dashboards for displaying data on the identification and management of lymphedema. METHODS The study used a co-design framework to develop 2 prototype dashboards for use by health professionals delivering breast cancer care. The key feature of these dashboards was an approach for visualizing lymphedema patient cohort and individual patient data. This project began with 2 focus group sessions conducted with members of a breast cancer multidisciplinary team (n=33) and a breast cancer consumer (n=1) to establish clinically relevant and appropriate data for presentation and the visualization requirements for a dashboard. A series of fortnightly meetings over 6 months with an Advisory Committee (n=10) occurred to inform and refine the development of a static mock-up dashboard. This mock-up was then presented to representatives of the multidisciplinary team (n=3) to get preliminary feedback about the design and use of such dashboards. Feedback from these presentations was reviewed and used to inform the development of the interactive prototypes. A structured evaluation was conducted on the prototypes, using Think Aloud Protocol and semistructured interviews with representatives of the multidisciplinary team (n=5). RESULTS Lymphedema was selected as a clinically relevant area for the prototype dashboards. A qualitative evaluation is reported for 5 health professionals. These participants were selected from 3 specialties: surgery (n=1), radiation oncology (n=2), and occupational therapy (n=2). Participants were able to complete the majority of tasks on the dashboard. Semistructured interview themes were categorized into engagement or enthusiasm for the dashboard, user experience, and data quality and completeness. CONCLUSIONS Findings from this study constitute the first report of a co-design process for creating a lymphedema dashboard for breast cancer health professionals. Health professionals are interested in the use of data visualization tools to make routinely collected clinical data more accessible. To be used effectively, dashboards need to be reliable and sourced from accurate and comprehensive data sets. While the co-design process used to develop the visualization tool proved effective for designing an individual patient dashboard, the complexity and accessibility of the data required for a cohort dashboard remained a challenge.

scholarly journals Challenges and Opportunities for Cancer Care in Regional Australia: The Health Professional´s Perspective

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement 2) ◽  
pp. 227s-227s ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Crawford-Williams ◽  
B. Goodwin ◽  
S. March ◽  
M. Ireland ◽  
S. Chambers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Professional ◽  
Health System ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Cancer Care ◽  
Clinical Care ◽  
Community Support ◽  
Models Of Care ◽  
Health Providers ◽  
Professional Perspective ◽  
Regional Australia

Background: Cancer specialists working in rural and regional Australia may experience unique difficulties when compared with their metropolitan counterparts, as they often have higher workloads, spend longer hours in clinical practice, and experience professional and social isolation. Previous research has identified accessibility and distance from services, a shortage of workforce, limited availability of specialists and allied health providers, suboptimal chemotherapy administration, and reduced availability of radiotherapy services as predictors of poorer outcomes in regional areas. Yet to date, limited research has focused on the perspective of the regional healthcare professionals. Aim: This study aimed to identify the factors which health professionals believe influence clinical care and outcomes for people with cancer in regional areas of Australia, to confirm existing barriers and identify any new insights specific to the health professional perspective. Methods: Semistructured interviews were conducted with regional oncology health professionals of varying backgrounds. Interview questions explored health professional´s perspectives on barriers to cancer care for patients, factors which influence clinical care, and access to support in regional areas. Data were interpreted using an inductive thematic analysis approach. Results: Two global themes were identified: rural culture and the health system. Within these global themes, health professionals discussed barriers to cancer care in regional areas, predominantly associated with travel, limited workforce, and poor communication within the health system. Participants also noted many positive aspects of cancer care in regional areas, including more personalised care for the patients and faster career progression for professionals. Conclusion: Despite recent innovations aimed at improving rural cancer care, including innovative models of care and increased infrastructure, regional health professionals still perceive many barriers to cancer care in regional Australia. These are predominantly associated with patient demographics, travel difficulties, and inadequate governance. However, there are also many notable benefits to receiving care in regional areas which have been absent from previous literature. These positive factors should be incorporated in efforts to enhance regional cancer care through the recruitment of health professionals to regional areas and development of regional community support networks. An understanding of the experiences of health professionals working in oncology settings in regional areas is a key step toward improving care and providing recommendations to health services and policymakers, particularly regarding recruitment and retention.

scholarly journals Using The Rotary International´s Platform to Create Long-Term Skills Transfer and Vocational Training Opportunities for Cancer Care in Bangladesh

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement 2) ◽  
pp. 244s-244s
Author(s):  
S. Rasheed ◽  
S. Khan ◽  
E. McLellan
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Research ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Cancer Care ◽  
Allied Health ◽  
World Health ◽  
Transfer Session ◽  
Allied Health Professionals ◽  
Skills Transfer ◽  
The Us ◽  
Rotary Club

Background and context: Rotary International (RI) is an international service organization whose stated purpose is to bring together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian services, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and to advance goodwill and peace around the world. The Rotary Club of Dhaka Mavericks, with the notion to work on cancer care has partnered with an US-based organization to bring cancer care specialists from the US. These 2 partners mainly work with the National Institute of Cancer Research and Hospital, the government-owned tertiary level cancer care and research institute in Bangladesh, to transfer the skills and provide vocational training to Bangladeshi oncologists, nurses and allied health professionals by oncologists, nurses and allied health professionals from the US. Aim: The overall aim of this project is to create a cadre of cancer care professionals - oncologists, nurses and allied health professionals - in Bangladesh who would have the vocational skills through on-the-job training and skills transfer session from experienced and skilled oncologists, nurses and allied health professionals from the US. Strategy/Tactics: The international platform of RI has been used to reach out to a US-based not-for-profit organization Partners for World Health. This US-based organization has sourced in cancer care professionals from the US and brought them to Bangladesh using the partnership of 1 rotary club in the US and another rotary club in Dhaka. Later on, these 2 Rotary Clubs and Partners for World Health collaborated with the National Institute of Cancer Research and Hospital, where this long-term skills transfer and vocational sessions are taking place. Program process: In this partnership, the Rotary Clubs and the US-based organization arranged all necessary funding and relevant permission and accreditation, while the National Institute of Cancer Research and Hospital patients - who were served - and oncologists, nurses and allied health professionals - who were trained. Outcomes: This partnership is currently for 5 years starting from October of 2017. The plan is to have 2-week vocational and skills transfer session every 6 months. The first session took place in October of 2017 and the second one on March of 2018. The third session will take place on October of 2018. In the October 2018 session, total 100 doctors and 35 nurses were trained on US standard cancer treatment protocols and chemotherapy administration. Number of complicated surgical techniques were also taught to the Bangladeshi surgeons by the US team. During the March session, the focus was on radiation oncology. A total of 100 radiation oncologists were trained on March of 2018.

scholarly journals Optimal Cancer Care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People: A Shared Approach to System Level Change

2020 ◽  
pp. 108-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Chynoweth ◽  
Meaghan M. McCambridge ◽  
Helen M. Zorbas ◽  
Jacinta K. Elston ◽  
Robert J.S. Thomas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Services ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Cancer Care ◽  
Torres Strait Islander ◽  
Care Pathway ◽  
System Level ◽  
Culturally Appropriate ◽  
Torres Strait Islander People ◽  
Cultural Appropriateness ◽  
Torres Strait

PURPOSE To improve cancer outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through the development and national endorsement of the first population-specific optimal care pathway (OCP) to guide the delivery of high-quality, culturally appropriate, and evidence-based cancer care. METHODS An iterative methodology was undertaken over a 2-year period, and more than 70 organizations and individuals from diverse cultural, geographic, and sectorial backgrounds provided input. Cancer Australia reviewed experiences of care and the evidence base and undertook national public consultation with the Indigenous health sector and community, health professionals, and professional colleges. Critical to the OCP development was the leadership of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health experts and consumers. RESULTS The OCP received unanimous endorsement by all federal, state, and territory health ministers. Key elements of the OCP include attention to the cultural appropriateness of the health care environment; improvement in cross-cultural communication; relationship building with local community; optimization of health literacy; recognition of men’s and women’s business; and the need to use culturally appropriate resources. The OCP can be used as a tool for health services and health professionals to identify gaps in current cancer services and to inform quality improvement initiatives across all aspects of the care pathway. CONCLUSION The development of the OCP identified a number of areas that require prioritization. Ensuring culturally safe and accessible health services is essential to support early presentation and diagnosis. Multidisciplinary treatment planning and patient-centered care are required for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, irrespective of location. Health planners and governments acknowledge the imperative for change and have expressed strong commitment to work with Indigenous Australians to improve the accessibility, cultural appropriateness, and quality of cancer care.

Complementary therapies

2007 ◽  
pp. 153-158
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Cancer Care ◽  
Complementary Therapies ◽  
Health Care Provision ◽  
Care Provision ◽  
The Public ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
And Training

Complementary therapies 154 Regulation and training 156 Complementary therapies are gaining popularity with both the public and health professionals and as a result are finding a more substantial place in a number of areas of mainstream health care provision. One of these areas is that of cancer care. Patients are accessing a wide range of therapies including acupuncture, homeopathy, aromatherapy, reflexology, and massage. Complementary therapies are used in addition to, and complementing, conventional therapies for cancer or other illnesses. Increasingly, the term ...

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