Paediatric Integrated Cancer Service Annual Report 2010-11

Introducing a supportive carescreening toolWorking Group 4 of the PICS SupportiveCare Grant has commenced the processto validate a psychosocial assessment toolfor use in paediatric oncology. A VictorianCancer Agency grant has been awardedto establish the feasibility of administeringthe PAT 2.0 within clinical settings andthe impact of such a tool on clinical carepractices. This tool will be tested at the RCHin late 2011, with further work underwayto implement across Monash Children’s.Reviewing the Long TermFollow-up ProgramThe Long Term Follow-up Program (LTFP)coordinates regular clinics that providesurvivors of childhood cancer with atailored approach to meet their ongoingneeds, with an appropriate transition planto adult-based community or hospitalservices. The LTFP clinics have been inoperation since May 2009. As part of thePICS commitment to best practice, in2011-12 the LTFP will be reviewed forboth efficiency and sustainability.Establishing shared care inregional GippslandThe Regional Outreach and SharedCare Program (ROSCP) has developedformalised shared care relationships withseven regional health services as part ofthe ROSCP’s commitment to providingappropriate services as close to home aspossible. As part of the ROSCP, the PICShas been in negotiation with health servicesin regional Gippsland to create a formalpartnership with Gippsland health servicesto allow families living in this area toreceive some medical care closer to home.In 2011-12, as a result of these discussionsthe PICS will formalise a shared carerelationship with Latrobe RegionalHospital in Traralgon.e-Path projectIn December 2010, the PICS initiatedcontact and discussion with the VictorianCancer Registry (VCR) to review theaccuracy of reporting of new cancerdiagnoses between the RCH, SouthernHealth and the VCR. Retrospective auditswere conducted at both organisationsand final numbers were ratified for eachfinancial year from 2004 to 2010. During theaudit, systems and processes for reportinga new cancer diagnosis from the pathologylabs and the health information servicesunit were reviewed by the PICS. Discussionsheld between the PICS and the VCR ledto the development of an opportunityfor the RCH to participate in an Australiafirst pilot that will test Canadian softwareknown as e-Path, which automates thereporting between a pathology unit andan external body such as the VCR. The PICSthen facilitated discussions between thekey stakeholders, which included Directorsof the RCH pathology service, ArtificialIntelligence in Medicine (AIM) and the VCR.This project will implement and evaluatethe AIM e-Path software that electronicallycaptures and transfers eligible pathologyreports to the VCR. Training of staff withinthe RCH and VCR and the first transmissionof data has been completed. The pilot isdue for completion in 2012.Paediatric Integrated Cancer Service (PICS) Annual Report 2010-2011 27