Poster Presentation Clinical Oncology Society of Australia Annual Scientific Meeting 2018

Investigating Practices Relating to Supportive Care Screening in Victorian Cancer Services (#271)

Jane Weber 1 , Kathryn Marshall 2 , Marita Reed 1 , Kathryn Whitfield 1
  1. Department of Health and Human Services, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
  2. Melbourne Health, Melbourne, VIC

Provision of comprehensive supportive care has long been established as fundamental to the delivery of quality cancer care. Screening patients, using a validated tool, is an effective method to identify sources of distress and to alert healthcare providers to individual patient need for supportive care interventions. In 2017-18, a study was conducted across Victorian cancer services to assess the prevalence of supportive care screening (SCS) and related actions delivered to an adult cancer population (n= 634) and to assess whether services are meeting the supportive care needs of their patients. Twenty one public and private health services across metropolitan and regional Victoria participated in the study. Prevalence of SCS was determined through medical record audit of patients over a two week period with a repeat audit after 60 days. The audits also collected details of supportive care discussions that occurred in the absence of SCS and all documented actions to address supportive care needs. Each study participant completed either a written survey or face to face interview of their experience of having their supportive care needs identified and addressed, this information was matched to their medical record audit. The overall prevalence of SCS with a validated screening tool in the study population was 63 per cent (n=408). A further 130 patients (21 per cent) had documented evidence of a discussion about their supportive care needs in the absence of a documented SCS. Inpatients were significantly less likely to receive SCS compared to ambulatory patients. Patients with a documented SCS were significantly more likely to report emotional and physical problems compared to patients without SCS who reported more family and practical issues. Patients without evidence of SCS had significantly more documented supportive care activity (referrals, discussion, information provision) than patients with documented SCS.