Monash Health clinicians working in the cancer space are invited to the Southern Melbourne Integrated Cancer Service (SMICS) Annual Forum on Thursday 26 October.
Participants will hear about three innovative projects that are improving outcomes for patients and upskilling health professionals at the free, one-hour online forum.
SMICS is one of nine Victorian Integrated Cancer Services that form Victoria’s cancer services improvement network. SMICS partners with public and private health services and other cancer care stakeholders to deliver key priorities in the Victorian Cancer Plan.
SMICS aims to improve patient experiences and outcomes by connecting cancer care and driving best practice.
Participants will have the opportunity to raise questions and offer perspectives during the forum, which will be hosted by SMICS Clinical Directors Associate Professor Andrew Haydon and Associate Professor Zee Wan Wong. The online forum aims to inform clinicians, primary care professionals, cancer-related non-government organisations, and consumers.
The forum will present three current projects.
Rosie the Robot
The Metastatic Breast Cancer Nurse Training Program pilot project, an Australian first that is designed to upskill and empower McGrath Breast Care Nurses to care for people with metastatic breast cancer. ‘Rosie’, the telepresence robot allows nurses to take part in the training program at Moorabbin Hospital from anywhere in Australia. The program is delivered by the McGrath Foundation, Monash Health, Monash University and SMICS.
Addressing nutrition risk in cancer patients
A program that aims to identify nutritional biomarkers in oesophagogastric cancer patients to identify malnutrition early and more accurately to assist dietitian assessment and nutrition intervention. The project also aims to develop mechanisms for communication of patients at high nutritional risk to all relevant treating clinicians, regardless of their location, and to develop feasible, standardised nutrition care pathways for nutritionally high-risk patients across health care services.
Loud and clear: Extending access to speech therapy through telepractice
A Monash Health-led pilot that focuses on a specialist speech pathology service for head and neck oncology patients with an altered airway, through implementation of proactive and preventative community-based care via telepractice. Supported by the SMICS Funding Program, the project uses video and phone calls to extend standard onsite care, supporting patients through post-surgical grief and adjustment, improving equity of access to speech pathology for those living regionally, and interventions to improve client outcomes and prevent adverse events.
When: Thursday 26 October
Time: 12:30-1:30pm
Where: Online
Audience: This forum is relevant to clinicians, primary care professionals, cancer-related NGOs, and consumers
For any queries, please email smics.quality@monashhealth.org or call 03 9928 8159.
Approved by Louise Kanis, Executive Director, Communications and Engagement