Standards of excellence for networked comprehensive cancer care

ACCN members commit to the standards of excellence for networked comprehensive cancer care applicable to the service type, including:

1. Deliver comprehensive cancer care

   a. Deliver or facilitate the delivery of comprehensive cancer care by connecting patients to other services in the network to meet their care needs along the cancer continuum, from prevention through to survivorship and end of life care, including supportive care.
   b. Deliver care in accordance with the Optimal Care Pathways (OCPs) and other agreed standards of care and service delivery.
   c. Ensure seamless patient navigation across the care continuum to guide and empower consumers to access the most appropriate care and support when and where they require, through the delivery of integrated multi-channel, multi-disciplined navigation models.
   d. Deliver models of care that embed the consumer voice and the lived experience of people affected by cancer.

2. Deliver equitable access to culturally safe cancer care across the cancer continuum

   a. Improve equitable access to evidence-based, innovative models of integrated multidisciplinary care, including novel and highly specialised treatments.
   b. Ensure patients receive timely access to cancer treatment irrespective of where they live.
   c. Embed culturally safe cancer care for all cancer patients, their carers and families, and particularly for priority population groups.
   d. Embed culturally safe care within cancer-related services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

3. Deliver research excellence

   a. Demonstrate a comprehensive and networked research program that covers the full spectrum of cancer control.
   b. Integrate clinical trials as routine cancer care.
   c. Demonstrate an ability to fast track research findings into clinical practice.

4. Collect, share and report comprehensive cancer data to drive service improvements and better cancer outcomes

   a. Champion the National Cancer Data Framework and contribute to the collection, sharing and reporting of agreed minimum datasets.
   b. Use quality indicators, including Patient Reported Experience Measures (PREMs) and Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs), to drive optimal and equitable care.

5. Foster an engaged, capable, and future focused cancer workforce

   a. Support a workforce that is culturally safe and responsive, well equipped, and driven by collaboration, continuous improvement, and diversity to enable best care for all Australians.
   b. Support the workforce to deliver clear person-centred communication and information that accommodates the cultural, linguistic and other socioeconomic circumstances of individuals, carers, and their families.
   c. Ensure research and education programs are driven by a supported workforce enabled to close the researchpractice gap from ‘bench to bedside’.
   d. Assist the sector to support all cancer care practitioners to work at the top of their scope of practice.

6. Deliver connectivity and sharing of expertise across the network

   a. Establish virtual centres of clinical excellence and develop and embed strategic approaches to equitable access to novel and highly specialised treatments.
   b. Engage with other services in the ACCN and establish new, or strengthen existing, links with the broader healthcare system, including primary health networks, other primary, community and supportive care services.
   c. Expand research and clinical trial networks to increase access and research translation, including the uptake of tele-trial models.
   d. Ensure knowledge sharing through the network, particularly from CCCs and other centres of excellence to continuously improve cancer care across the network, and to support cancer care providers in regional, rural, and remote locations. This includes:
   i. accelerating the translation of outcomes from research and clinical trials into best practice cancer care.
   ii. educating and training health professionals through dissemination of resources and learning opportunities.

7. Self-evaluate performance and adherence with the standards of excellence

   Self-evaluation against standards 1-6 above will:

   a. Enable services to demonstrate they are delivering and/or facilitating the delivery of comprehensive cancer care
   b. Foster continuous improvement in performance and networking
   c. Enhance transparency and accountability for the delivery of comprehensive cancer care.

   A process to identify and determine additional standards over time will be established by the ACCN Committee, based on emerging need.