WCMICS Grants Program
The WCMICS Funding Program provides health services with grants ranging from $20,000 to $200,000 to support projects aimed at improving the quality of cancer care. The program encourages effective partnerships and collaboration between other health providers and consumers; to improve coordination, accessibility and quality of care provided to better support all patients affected by cancer.
The current round of funding is now closed.
Optimal Care Pathway
Optimal Cancer Care Pathways aim to improve patient outcomes by facilitating consistent, safe, high quality and evidence-based care. They can be used by health services and professionals as a tool to identify gaps in current cancer services and inform quality improvement initiatives across all aspects of the care pathway.
To date we have done OCP implementation work in:
bowel cancer
Cancer in any part of the large bowel (such as the colon or rectum)
Resource:
My Cancer Diagnosis Explained Summary
head and neck cancers
Cancers that occur inside the sinuses, nose, mouth and salivary glands down through the throat
Resource:
My Cancer Diagnosis Explained Summary
lung cancer
Cancer that starts in lung tissue
Resource:
My Cancer Diagnosis Explained Summary
pancreatic cancer
Cancer of the pancreas
Resource:
My Cancer Diagnosis Explained Summary
prostate cancer
Cancer of the prostate (men)
Resource:
My Cancer Diagnosis Explained Summary
Our Work
Current Projects
Supportive care
Supportive care is essential to improving quality of life and better health outcomes for people affected by cancer. WCMICS continues to monitor supportive care screening and work with health services to address any practice gaps. WCMICS is piloting an e-tool tailored to meet the supportive care needs of culturally and linguistically diverse radiotherapy patients.
Project lead: Tara Gannon
Quality MDM
The statewide multidisciplinary meeting quality framework was developed by the ICS to enhance and support the quality, effectiveness and consistency of cancer multidisciplinary team meetings. WCMICS is supporting the implementation of the MDM Quality Framework. This involves auditing MDM against the quality framework to identify opportunities for improvement. This year in particular includes a focus on the experience of MDM in the COVID environment.
Project lead: Mayuri Ghatpande
Post COVID Planning
Since the commencement of the COVID-19 pandemic there has been a decline in cancer screening, up to 30% reduction seen in colorectal, prostate, breast, melanoma and lung. WCMICS is working with health services across the region to plan and prepare for the anticipated increase in cancer service demand.
Project Lead: Dilu Rupassara
Telehealth
The COVID19 pandemic saw the rapid adoption towards telehealth patient consultations. WCMICS continues to support health services across the region through the funding of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and manpower to support local administration and trouble shooting.
Resources available for health professionals:
Resources available for patients and carers are available in English and 5 other languages:
Project Lead: Kate Whitehead
Question Prompt List (QPL)
The following resources have been developed in wide consultation with health professionals and people affected by cancer. These checklists contain easy to refer to questions for people with cancer and their families. They are reminders of the common questions people need to ask their cancer treatment and care specialists.
Project lead: Sachi Bajaj
Psycho-Oncology e-screening and resources
Anxiety, depression and fear of recurrence are prevalent in people affected by cancer. These symptoms left undetected or under treated is associated with reduced quality of life. WCMICS is working with psycho-oncology health professionals to develop an online resource to met the growing need for tailored psychological support.
Project Lead: Tara Gannon
Our local work plan is driven by key priority areas from the Victorian Cancer Plan. It guides the focus and direction of the work we do at WCMICS for the next 12-24 months. Some examples of key pieces of work underway currently include:
The Victorian Integrated Cancer Services are supported by the Victorian Government
© 2020 Western & Central Melbourne Integrated Cancer Service