Poster Presentation Clinical Oncology Society of Australia Annual Scientific Meeting 2024

Provision of cancer systems by cancer services for culturally and linguistically diverse patients (#319)

Meng Tuck Mok 1 2 , Umbreen Hafeez 2 3 4 , Alesha A Thai 5 , Nicole Rankin 2 , Nicola Creagh 2 , Marlies Iserlohe 3 , Vijaya Joshi 1 , Jennifer Philip 2 6 , Kalinda Griffiths 7
  1. VCCC Alliance, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
  2. The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
  3. Austin Health, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia
  4. North Eastern Melbourne Cancer Services, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia
  5. Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
  6. St. Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia
  7. College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Darwin, NT, Australia

Aims

Culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) patients receive suboptimal healthcare with poorer outcomes. Missed identification, unclear information and/or lacking knowledge about services negatively impacts cancer care for CALD communities. VCCC Alliance aims to address these by supporting projects across community, primary and tertiary settings.

 

Methods

Project 1

A round table with varied stakeholders led to a mixed methods approach to understand how CALD patients are identified at one Victorian health service. An audit of major patient data systems assessed the collection of Australian Bureau of Statistics-recommended data variables to identify CALD patients.

Project 2

A multi-site qualitative programme aims to identify barriers and facilitators by cancer CALD patients and carers to access symptom support services. Using experience-based co-design methodology in partnership with patients, carers, health care professionals and community representatives, this study aims to design, implement, and evaluate interventions for equitable and culturally safe symptom support services.

Project 3

To augment implementation of the National Lung Cancer Screening Program (NLCSP), bi-cultural workers, peer workers and interpreters working in primary and community organisations providing care and support to CALD communities were interviewed to assess needs and tailored solutions.

 

Results

Auditing data captured by hospital data collection systems revealed insights for improving identification of CALD patients.

Qualitative analyses of focus groups from CALD patients and carers at two Victorian tertiary centres are examining barriers and facilitators accessing symptom support services. The co-design phase, ADVANCE-ACCESS, commences in 2025.

To encourage CALD communities’ participation in the NLCSP, multi-pronged approaches including education sessions, multilingual resources and materials, peer worker support, and general practitioners are essential in identifying eligible CALD participants.

 

Conclusion

CALD communities should lead the development and implementation of strategies for accurate data capture and improved support services, enhancing engagement, better equity to access healthcare, including lung cancer screening, thereby improving health outcomes.