Aim of this project:
1. Map and investigate the current psychosocial supports for cancer patients in the Border/East Hume RICS (BE HRICS) area
2. Recommend ways in which access to psychosocial supports could be improved, providing more timely and appropriate care.
Method:
This project utilized formal and semi formal interviews with Border/East Hume and surrounding rural health services to map the current availability of services and understand the perceived gaps and barriers to their use. A working party was convened to contribute consumer and health professional insights, guide the formation of recommendations, and contribute to the final report.
Findings of this project included:
1. Considerable psychosocial supports exist currently in the BE HRICS area, including in rural community health services.
2. Feedback from rural community services indicates they could be better utilized through improved awareness, increased referrals, and the development of a more collaborative approach.
3. Other support organisations such as school counselors and consumer run support groups offer significant psychosocial support but require formal links to the cancer sector.
4. The Oncology Social Work (OSW) role is limited in its current site specific nature.
5. There is limited data concerning the discussion of psychosocial needs of patients at local Multidisciplinary meetings (MDM).
Recommendations:
1. Develop and implement a collaborative “hub and spoke” model of psychosocial care between cancer services and rural hospitals, support groups, and non cancer support agencies.
2. Improve the current model of psychosocial care by:
a. Investigating options for the OSW role to be expanded to provide mentoring and support to rural social workers
b. Quantify the current, and determine the optimum, level of discussion of psychosocial needs at existing MDM.
c. Improving patient self referral to psychosocial support services.
d. Raising the profile of current psychosocial supports available throughout the BE HRICS community