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BRAIN

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Brain Summits

The online Brain Cancer 2020 Summit attracted 80 active participants and 35 observers. Divided into two two-hour Zoom sessions held one week apart, attendees heard from the VTS steering committee chair, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), and the consumer panel.

 

Chair Paul Mitchell spoke on the importance of consumer input into improving care and putting ideas from the Summit into practice by collaboration between clinicians, the Integrated Cancer Services and the Department.

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Ms Kathryn Whitfield, Director of Cancer and Aged Care - Commissioning, DHHS, drew attention to the new Victorian cancer plan 2020–2024. Considered a key reform asset of the plan, optimal care pathways (OCPs) have been embedded in its body of work. Summits contribute to the plan's reform agenda by benchmarking statewide cancer care against the OCPs. Summit ideas for ongoing work should be ones that make a meaningful difference, and which can be monitored and measured. 

Summit working party co-chairs Professors Andrew Danks and Hui Gan presented the data presentation. Professor Andrew Danks presents part one from the first Zoom session. Professor Hui Gan presents part two from the second Zoom session.

Clinical Working Party

  • Dr Vishal Boolell

  • Dr Rebecca Chapman

  • Dr Lawrence Cher

  • Dr Jonathon Clark

  • Dr Mike Dally

  • A/Prof Andrew Danks (co-chair)

  • Dr Rana Dhillon

  • Dr Tony Dowling

  • Prof Kate Drummond

  • Dr Ronnie Frielich

  • Prof Hui Gan (co-chair)

  • A/Prof Martin Hunn

  • Dr Craig Macleod

  • A/Prof Paul Mitchell

  • Prof Jennifer Philip

  • Dr Claire Phillips

  • Dr Simone Reeves

  • Dr Emma Reiterer

  • Dr Ayesha Saqib

  • Dr Mori Wada

Brain Cancer 2020 Summit Material

Brain Summit Material 2020
Brain Cancer 2020 Summit Policy Context Presentation

Presented by Kathryn Whitfield

Director, Cancer and Aged Care

Policy Context

Ms Kathryn Whitfield, Director of Cancer and Aged Care - Commissioning, DHHS, drew attention to the new Victorian cancer plan 2020–2024. Considered a key reform asset of the plan, optimal care pathways (OCPs) have been embedded in its body of work. Summits contribute to the plan's reform agenda by benchmarking statewide cancer care against the OCPs. Summit ideas for ongoing work should be ones that make a meaningful difference, and which can be monitored and measured.

Brain Cancer 2020 Summit Data Presentation

Presented by Co-Chairs Professors Andrew Danks and Hui Gan

Data & Consumer Variations

Professor Andrew Danks, working party co-chair, presented in the first online summit session. Important variations identified for discussion were:

 

  1. There are a number of low-volume surgery campuses despite brain surgery being complex.

  2. There is significant variation between campuses in length of stay for major surgery (ER and non-ER admissions).

  3. There are variations in timeliness to radiotherapy. Is further investigation required and is there impact on experience of care?

Brain Cancer 2020 Summit Consumer Part 1 - 
Patient Collective Experience - What's Working and What's Important

Presented by Patients Matt and Margaret

Brain Cancer 2020 Summit Consumer Part 2 - Communication, Coordination & Collaboration

Presented by Patients Matt and Margaret

Consumer Recognition Presentation

A consumer video was screened at the beginning of each session. The areas determined by brain cancer consumers to be of most importance for improvement were:

  1. Communication, coordination and collaboration. In particular, consumers strongly felt that communication of brain cancer diagnoses by clinicians to consumers could be improved, as well as communication and coordination of patients' treatment plans.

  2. Likewise, coordination of care between public/private and metro/regional health services was considered varied by consumers, with significant impact on experience of care.

Consumer Perspective: Brain Cancer

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