Poster Presentation Clinical Oncology Society of Australia Annual Scientific Meeting 2024

Launch of the Co-Designed Equitable Cancer Outcomes across Rural and Remote Australia (ECORRA) Project (#339)

Anna Ugalde 1 , Skye Marshall 1 , Serene Yoong 2 , Camille Short 3 , Anna Chapman 1 , Fiona Crawford Williams 4 5 , Rebecca Bergin 1 6 7 , Anna Wong Shee 8 , Joel Rhee 9 , Deme Karikios 10 11 , Nicole Kiss 12 , Lucy Leigh 13 14 , Lan Gao 2 , Anna Boltong 15 , Kate Gunn 16 , Hannah Jongebloed 1 , Helena Rodi 1 17 , Hannah Beks 18 , Nicolas H Hart 19
  1. Centre for Quality and Patient Safety Research, Institute for Health Transformation, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC, Australia
  2. Institute for Health Transformation, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC, Australia
  3. Melbourne Centre for Behaviour Change, Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences and Melbourne School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry, and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
  4. McGrath Foundation, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  5. College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
  6. Cancer Epidemiology Division, Cancer Council Victoria, East Melbourne, VIC, Australia
  7. Department of General Practice and Primary Care, and Centre for Cancer Research, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
  8. Deakin Rural Health, Deakin University, Australia and Grampians Health, Western Victoria and the Grampians, VIC, Australia
  9. Discipline of General Practice, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW, Australia
  10. Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
  11. Department of Medical Oncology, Nepean Hospital, Kingswood, NSW, Australia
  12. Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC, Australia
  13. Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, NSW, Australia
  14. School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
  15. Monash University, Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food, School of Clinical Sciences , Monash Health, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Clayton, VIC, Australia
  16. Department of Rural Health, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
  17. Victorian Integrated Care Services, Heidelberg, VIC, Australia
  18. Deakin Rural Health, Deakin University, Warrnambool, VIC, Australia
  19. Human Performance Research Centre, INSIGHT Research Institute, University of Technology Sydney , Sydney, NSW, Australia

Aims

Australians in rural and remote areas may experience delays in cancer diagnosis and treatment commencement of up to 53 days, compared to their metropolitan counterparts, contributing to poorer survival. To reduce this inequity, the Equitable Cancer Outcomes across Rural and Remote Australia (ECORRA) Project was launched in 2024 to co-design and embed an implementation package to support rural and remote cancer services to align with the Optimal Care Pathways (OCPs), as recommended in the Australian Cancer Plan.

 

Methods

The ECORRA Project, funded by the Medical Research Future Fund, uses best practice recommendations to co-design a sustainable and scalable, evidence-informed, implementation package for rural and remote health services. Commencing 2024, Phase 1 uses the Theoretical Domains Framework to guide interviews with professional and consumer stakeholders to identify the key determinants influencing the implementation of the diagnosis- and treatment-related components of the OCPs. Relevant determinants will then be mapped to implementation strategies. Commencing 2025 and drawing upon Phase 1 results and realist reviews, Phase 2 will conduct a series of workshops with diverse and representative stakeholders from rural and remote Australia to co-design and refine an implementation package prototype. From 2026-2029, a pragmatic stepped-wedge cluster randomised trial will embed and evaluate the implementation package in 14 rural and remote cancer care services across South Australia, Victoria, and Queensland.

 

Results

The ECORRA implementation package is hypothesised to improve adherence to the diagnosis- and treatment-related components of the OCPs in rural and remote cancer services, to be acceptable and feasible, and lead to reduced healthcare costs. Partnerships with stakeholder organisations and representatives have been formalised via the ECORRA Charter and will facilitate nationwide scaling from 2029 onwards.

 

Conclusions

The ECORRA Project represents a substantial investment and commitment to reduce inequity in cancer diagnosis and treatment services for rural and remote Australians nationally.