The Optimal Care Pathways (OCPs) are intended to guide the delivery of consistent, safe, high-quality and evidencebased care for people with cancer.
The original optimal care pathways (previously named patient management frameworks) (Department of Health 2007) had, for the first time, attempted to map the cancer pathway in an easily understandable form.
An evaluation survey of the initial 2006 patient management frameworks showed they were successful in engaging health care providers; supporting the introduction of tumour groups and multidisciplinary teams; auditing cancer services and identifying quality improvement projects.
The Cancer Council Victoria (CCV) has been appointed by the Victorian Department of Health to review the OCPs to:
ensure OCPs reflect current best practice and continue to support the delivery of optimal care at critical points throughout the patient journey
expand the scope to reflect emerging areas of practice
develop consumer friendly versions to assist patient and carers navigate the care pathway and quick reference guides designed for use by General Practitioners (GPs).
Multidisciplinary expert working groups for each tumour stream meet to review and agree the content for each pathway. This is followed by waves of public consultation, key stakeholder review and consultation with relevant Colleges and peak organisations, before final publication.
Insofar, nine OCPs and corresponding quick reference guides for GPs have been developed for lung, colorectal, HCC, prostate, lymphoma, melanoma, pancreatic, ovarian and malignant glioma cancers.
15 OCPs with consumer versions, and quick reference guides for GPs is planned by project close (December 2015). OCPs are published online as they are developed and publicised to key stakeholders and at key events. An implementation plan to guide their dissemination and use has been developed along with an evaluation strategy.
The new OCPs are intended to be adopted nationally.