Skip to main content
Oceanic Palliative Care Conference 2023
Times are shown in your local time zone GMT

Integrating Palliative and Myeloma Care: challenges and strategies from the front line

Oral Presentation Concurrent Sessions

Oral Presentation - Concurrent Sessions

12:00 pm

14 September 2023

Level 4 - Room 4.5

Stream 3D | Concurrent Session | Clinical care

Presentation Streams

Clinical Care

Presentation Description

Institution: The University of Melbourne and St. Vincent's Hospital Melbourne - Victoria, Australia

Background
International research consistently demonstrates the benefits of integrating palliative care (PC) with advanced cancer, such as improved symptom control and higher levels of patient and caregiver satisfaction. Multiple Myeloma (MM) remains incurable, but survival rates have improved with new treatment modalities. Many MM patients experience high symptom burden and complex psychosocial needs. Care Plus is a new care pathway that directly addresses identified barriers to early integration of PC with Myeloma care and demonstrates how to implement such a practice change. 
Aim 
The aim is to explore the opportunities and challenges of implementing an early PC pathway for all MM patients at the time of diagnosis or relapse, from the vantage point of PC and Myeloma nurse practitioners. 
Methods 
‘Care Plus’ is a ‘whole of system’ practice change implemented in oncology services at four Australian metropolitan tertiary public hospitals for identified advanced cancers, whereby everyone reaching the nominated trigger point is automatically offered an ‘extra layer of care’ with specialist PC services, alongside their usual cancer care. 
Results 
Integrating PC within the oncology service hospital fostered a collaborative confidence and flexibility to address the complex care needs of advanced cancer patients, their families, and carers. This integration of care was notably well received by MM patients, carers, referring haematologists and PC teams. From November 2020 to May 2022, 45 MM patients received Care Plus.  
Conclusion 
The ‘Care Plus’ pathway includes the perspectives and experiences of both the Myeloma and PC teams regarding the challenges and strategies of establishing a referral pathway to PC in existing systems, introducing the activities and benefits of PC to MM patients, and developing an integrated service for supportive care within a shifting landscape of Myeloma treatment. 

Presenters

Authors

Authors

Professor Jennifer Philip - The University of Melbourne & St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne , Mr Michael Collins - Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre , Ms Trish Joyce - Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre , Mrs Kylee Bellingham - The University of Melbourne & St. Vincent's Hospital Melbourne , Doctor Farwa Rizvi - The University of Melbourne & St. Vincent's Hospital Melbourne , Ms Joyce Chua - The University of Melbourne & St. Vincent's Hospital Melbourne , Professor Brian Le - The University of Melbourne, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre & The Royal Melbourne Hospital , Professor Gregory Crawford - The University of Adelaide , Doctor Angelina Yong - Lyell McEwin Hospital , Ms Catherine Jeffs - Lyell McEwin Hospital , Associate Professor Sue-Anne McLachlan - The University of Melbourne & St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne , Doctor Anna Collins - The University of Melbourne & St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne , Associate Professor Vijaya Sundararajan - The University of Melbourne & St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne

Please be advised this website collects and stores your cookies to improve your experience. By using this website, you agree to our use of cookies. For more information, please refer to our