Introduction
184 women participated in a Victorian Government funded Breast Cancer Survivorship Pilot Program for women completing definitive treatment for early breast cancer in Victoria in 2012/13. Qualitative evaluation reveals a high level of consumer acceptance of the initiative and some important feedback on opportunities for improvement.
Objectives/Aims
This presentation aims to outline the results of project evaluation in relation to the women’s experience of various aspects of the survivorship pilot and highlight areas for potential improvement.
Description/Methodology
Acceptability, effectiveness and impact of the pilot program process were evaluated with a follow up survey with 107 participants with 70 (65%) returned. Twenty telephone interviews with participants were undertaken to capture qualitative information about the process, outcomes and impact and to identify areas for improvement. Women were asked about their experience of attending the Nurse Led Clinic (NLC), including practical and lifestyle considerations, views on the care plan, and possible improvements to the process.
Results
Several features emerged from the interviews including how women understood the term ‘lifestyle’ and how this related to their whole lives, not just while experiencing cancer.
Some examples of other responses include :-
100% respondents rated the NLC as a positive experience
70% felt safe and confident about their GP being a partner in their on-going care
80% had been back to their GP to discuss their care plan
75% had made some positive change as a result of their diagnosis
55% did feel encouraged to change aspects of lifestyle
Conclusions
While the evaluation has shown a high level of acceptance of this approach, women’s responses have highlighted that opportunities exist to improve various aspects, including changes to lifestyles and use of shared care among other elements.