Poster Presentation Clinical Oncology Society of Australia Annual Scientific Meeting 2019

Redesign of dietetic service in the ambulatory oncology setting – a trial to optimise patient centred care (#275)

Stephanie Labourne 1 , Jessica Hamilton 1 , Kate Kaegi 1
  1. Austin Health, Heidelberg, VIC, Australia

Austin Health’s Day Chemotherapy Unit provides comprehensive cancer care to patients, treating between 300-350 patients each week. Access to dietetics is impacted by resources, cancelled or postponed chemotherapy treatments and a location based service. Patients with high nutrition risk gastrointestinal (GI) cancers have multiple attendances across two clinic settings, however access to dietetics was limited to one setting: Day Chemotherapy. This study trialled a redesign of dietetic service, within existing resources, to provide nutrition care across both Day Chemotherapy and the GI oncology outpatient clinic settings. Aims of service redesign were to facilitate a more patient-centred approach and improve equity of dietetic intervention. Patient data was collected from the GI Oncology clinic setting over a 22-month period (105 patient encounters), including patient demographics, clinical data and consumer feedback. The most common diagnoses included colorectal (34%) and gastric/oesophageal (24%). Of patients seen in GI Oncology clinic, 73% were malnourished, with 64% of these patients having metastatic disease. All patients received tailored nutrition education, with oral nutrition supplements recommended for 77% of patients. Service redesign resulted in improved dietetic access for 52% of patients who previously would not have been seen, as they were not attending the Day Chemotherapy unit. Patient feedback supported the need for dietetics in both care settings. This service redesign, which is supported by both patients and medical staff, has achieved a more patient-centred approach to nutrition care, improved access to dietetics in a patient population with a high prevalence of malnutrition, and demonstrates that nutrition care can be provided across both care settings within existing resources.