BY NORM TOLLINSKY
Northwestern Ontario’s Regional Cancer Care’s four-year plan for 2011 to 2015 lays out plans for several important new initiatives aimed at improving cancer treatment. Released June 24th, the plan promises improved communications using web-based technologies, the acquisition of two new state-of-the-art linear accelerators, enhanced palliative care service and an integrated cancer screening program.
The first of 14 regional responses to Cancer Care Ontario’s provincial cancer plan for 2011 – 2015, the northwest cancer plan “is the result of nine months of planning and engagement,” said Michael Power, vice president, Regional Cancer & Diagnostic Services. “We talked with well over 500 patients, families and physicians from Marathon to the Manitoba border.”
The northwestern Ontario cancer program embarked on the planning process from a position of strength as the second ranked program in the province measured against 19 performance indicators, including wait times, access, compliance with guidelines and outcomes.
“The northwest has made more gains in terms of overall survivorship than any other region in Ontario over the course of the last 16 years, but we also came from last place,” said Power.
A lack of infrastructure prior to 1995 and the high incidence of cancer contributed to the region’s poor ranking in the early years of the program.
The northwest, notes Power, “has the dubious distinction of having the highest incidence of the four big cancers, and our lifestyle decisions are such that we tend to drink too much, we smoke too much, we don’t heed the advice around the benefit sof a healthy diet and we’re not as physically active as we should be.”
As the program expanded and diagnostic technologies, screening systems and professional health care staff were brought onboard, survivorship performance caught up with the rest of the province.
“We’re now at the median in Ontario,” said Power. “What we want to do over the next four years is push through the median and become one of the highest performing programs in the province interms of survival.”
Patient satisfaction
The northwest cancer program scores highly in third-party patient satisfaction surveys, but like the rest of province, performs below patient expectations in the area of patient access to information.
Patients enjoy their experience with professional staff and are happy with the facilities, but complain that they aren’t always well informed about the side effects of radiation and the risks associated with surgery. Neither are they satisfied with the way appointments are booked.
The northwest cancer program is responding to the perceived lack of communication by developing a secure web-based portal.
“We book our vacations and buy our cars online,” said Power. “Everything we do about managing our purchase decisions is being done more and more by us, as opposed to by providers, and patients and families are asking why is it different in health care? Why am I in the dark when I leave my surgeon’s office, or why do I have to wait three weeks for someone to call and leave me a voice mail message about my next appointment? Why can’t I go online and look at my own situation and book my own tests?
“As a result of the feedback from patients, we’ve said we’re going to transform the system dramatically and turn it into a true patient-centred cancer system that will allow patients to access their information whenever they want and need it.”
Instead of waiting for someone to call to book an appointment, patients will be able to book appointments at a time that works for them. They’ll also be able to go online and check on test results instead of wasting time on office consultations only to find out that their results were fine.
Linear accelerators
Also in the works are plans to retool the cancer centre’s radiation technology. Ten million dollars has been secured for the purchase of two new, state-of-the-art linear accelerators with IMRT and IGRT capability. “We’ll also be adding a fourth treatment bunker,” said Power.
Palliative care service will be enhanced with the hiring of two full-time palliative care oncologists and dedicated nursing staff to care for patients in their own homes. The palliative care oncologists will work inside the program and have “most responsible physician” status, freeing medical, surgical and radiation oncologists to focus on active treatment.
Integrated cancer screening, whereby breast, cervical and colon screening programs will be brought under one administrative umbrella, is also in the works.
With an integrated screening program, “a 54-year-old woman will learn on her birthday about the benefits of having her mammography, pap test and FOBT or flexible sigmoidoscopy test at the same time,” said Power.
The cancer program has secured $1.5 million to purchase and equip a new mobile coach that will allow residents throughout the northwest to have all their screening done with greater convenience.
