Assessing adherence to Optimal Care Pathways for diagnosis and treatment of cancer for Aboriginal people

Development of a tool
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are 1.6 times more likely to die of cancer than other Australians, with a higher incidence of high-fatality cancers. A recent literature review did not identify work to ascertain whether Aboriginal people are meeting benchmarks in cancer care delivery. This study will develop and pilot a tool to assess if best evidence is being translated into practice for Aboriginal people in the area of cancer care, when compared to Optimal Care Pathways. The project will involve developing a Cancer Care Pathway checklist to match against electronic medical records, to ascertain if evidence care pathways have been met for Aboriginal people. A Cancer Care Pathways checklist for three cancers that are common cancers for Aboriginal people (lung, bowel and breast) will be used as a starting point.
Current status:
Funded, in recruitment