title: Guidelines for timely initiation of chemotherapy: a proposed framework for access to medical oncology and haematology cancer clinics and chemotherapy services.
abstract: These guidelines, informed by the best available evidence and consensus expert opinion, provide a framework to guide the timely initiation of chemotherapy for treating cancer. They sit at the intersection of patient experience, state-of-the-art disease management and rational efficient service provision for these patients at a system level. Internationally, cancer waiting times are routinely measured and publicly reported. In Australia, there are existing policies and guidelines relating to the timeliness of cancer care for surgery and radiation therapy; however, until now, equivalent guidance for chemotherapy was lacking. Timeliness of care should be informed, where available, by evidence for improved patient outcomes. Independent of this, it should be recognised that shorter waiting periods are likely to reduce patient anxiety. While these guidelines were developed as part of a proposed framework for consideration by the Victorian Department of Health, they are clinically relevant to national and international cancer services. They are intended to be used by clinical and administrative staff within cancer services. Adoption of these guidelines, which are for the timely triage, review and treatment of cancer patients receiving systemic chemotherapy, aims to ensure that patients receive care within a timeframe that will maximise health outcomes, and that access to care is consistent and equitable across cancer services. Local monitoring of performance against this guideline will enable cancer service providers to manage proactively future service demand.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, South Australia.|Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, South Australia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alexander
authors.affiliation: Emergency Medicine and Cancer Services, Western Health, Melbourne, South Australia.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Beattie-Manning
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Bendigo Health, Bendigo, South Australia.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Blum
authors.affiliation: Western and Central Integrated Cancer Service, Melbourne, South Australia.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Byrne
authors.affiliation: Cancer Strategy and Development Unit, Victorian Department of Health and Human Services, Alfred Health, Melbourne, South Australia.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hornby
authors.affiliation: Department of Specialists Clinics, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, South Australia.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kearny
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, South Australia.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Love
authors.affiliation: Western and Central Integrated Cancer Service (Consumer), Alfred Health, Melbourne, South Australia.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McGlashan
authors.affiliation: Cancer Nurses Society of Australia, Adelaide, South Australia.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: McKiernan
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Alfred Health, Melbourne, South Australia.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Milar
authors.affiliation: Department of Building Better Care, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, South Australia.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.affiliation: Clinical Haematology, Monash Health, Melbourne, South Australia.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Opat
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Eastern Health, Melbourne, South Australia.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Parente
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Peninsula Health, Mornington, Victoria, South Australia.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.affiliation: Service Development, Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Melbourne, South Australia.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tweddle
authors.affiliation: Cancer Services, Greater Southern Area Health Service and East Hume/Border Clinical Network, Albury Wodonga, New South Wales/Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Underhill
authors.affiliation: Cancer Strategy and Development Unit, Victorian Department of Health and Human Services, Alfred Health, Melbourne, South Australia.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Whitfield
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, South Australia.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kirsa
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, South Australia.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rischin
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D019468:Disease Management; D004358:Drug Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D006405:Hematology; D006801:Humans; D008495:Medical Oncology; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care; D061665:Time-to-Treatment
keywords: cancer; chemotherapy; drug therapy; guidelines; quality indicator; timely