Towards improving the co-ordination of supportive cancer care services in the community

Health Policy. 2004 Oct;70(1):125-31. doi: 10.1016/j.healthpol.2004.02.007.

Abstract

In this paper an evaluation approach to assess the co-ordination of supportive community cancer care is presented. The aim of the study was to identify current gaps in co-ordination of services in a selected region in the province of Ontario, Canada, determine how consistent these gaps were across the province of Ontario, and develop service design considerations for improving the co-ordination of supportive cancer care services in the province of Ontario. The study addressed services required by two populations -clients who had been recently diagnosed and those in the palliative stages of cancer. The evaluation was theory-driven and incorporated evidence from three methods: a systematic literature review, a community case study and a provincial scan. The results revealed the absence of a formal supportive cancer care system and a complex community care system. Supportive cancer care was shown to be delivered by a range of generalist programs that lacked specialisation in addressing the unique needs of cancer clients. In addition, there was no clear evidence of leadership for co-ordinating supportive cancer care, where client care was most often provided by multiple programs at any given point in time. The study generated recommendations to improve co-ordination of supportive cancer care at both the administrative as well as direct care level.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study

MeSH terms

  • Community Health Services / organization & administration*
  • Continuity of Patient Care / organization & administration*
  • Efficiency, Organizational
  • Health Services Research
  • Humans
  • Neoplasms / therapy*
  • Ontario
  • Palliative Care*