All.Can is an international, multi-stakeholder, not-for-profit organisation working to improve the efficiency of cancer care by focusing on what matters to patients. One of the aims of All.Can Australia is to: ‘increase national access to Cancer Care Navigators, which will relieve patients and their carers of the system-related stress and concern that they experience.’
Cancer Care Navigators are becoming a common way in which hospitals and treatment centres can help patients through their cancer journey. However, in Australia these roles are not universally available and are limited to certain cancer types and / or health service providers.
All.Can Australia engaged Healthcare Management Advisors (HMA) to assess the optimal Cancer Care Navigator role for Australian cancer patients and their families.
Key tasks included:
- literature scan of peer-reviewed literature for a cancer care navigator definition, scope, professional background, and economic analysis of cancer care navigator roles; this included grey literature on existing models
- stakeholder consultations with peak body groups, Australian and international cancer care navigator (or similar) programs, cancer advocacy groups and other experts in the field
- steering committee workshop to present findings and develop a preferred model
- preparation of a feasibility assessment drawing together findings from the literature scan, consultations and workshop to determine the feasibility of the proposed model
- economic analysis including further stakeholder consultation, assessment of key drivers (benefits and outcomes) from cancer care navigator roles, economic analysis of potential program costs, and if possible, a value-for-money analysis
- preparation of an advocacy strategy to explore potential funding options for the cancer care navigator role
- development of an advocacy toolkit.
Download the report here. The project commenced in July 2020 and was completed in May 2021.
