VICS Multidisciplinary Meeting (MDM) Quality Program

Strengthening multidisciplinary cancer care across Victoria

The VICS are committed to enhancing the quality and efficiency of cancer multidisciplinary meetings (MDMs) to improve outcomes for Victorians affected by cancer.

Why multidisciplinary care matters

Multidisciplinary care brings together health professionals from various specialties to ensure comprehensive cancer diagnosis, treatment and support.

The Victorian Cancer Plan 2024–2028 states, in Pillar 3 (PDF), that evidence indicates patients managed by a multidisciplinary cancer care team benefit from:

  • better health outcomes
  • higher satisfaction with care
  • improved mental wellbeing.

Cancer MDMs across Victoria are facing increasing pressure due to rising patient numbers and limited resources.

About the VICS MDM Quality Program

Led by SMICS and HRICS, the VICS statewide MDM Quality Program identifies key areas for improvement in the delivery of multidisciplinary cancer care. This initiative is informed by:

  • a statewide MDM Framework Audit led by LMICS in 2019–2020
  • a cross-VICS MDM Quality Workshop in July 2024
  • feedback from clinicians via the VICS Optimal Care Summits
  • data and outcomes from local ICS project activities
  • ongoing consultation with Integrated Cancer Service Clinical Directors and MDM participants.

Our approach

Building on continuous clinical engagement and codesign, the MDM Quality Program aims to:

  • enable consistent monitoring of MDMs
  • drive sustainable, system-wide improvements
  • support high-quality, patient-centred cancer care across Victoria.
External links
Multidisciplinary care (Department of Health)
Victorian MDM Quality Framework 2018 (PDF)
MDM Quality Framework implementation audit report (Word doc.)

Projects

MDM quality tools and processes

The VICS are collaborating closely with clinicians to design and implement practical tools and processes that strengthen multidisciplinary meetings (MDMs) across Victoria.

Underway

Quality standards for cancer MDMs

In 2019–20, LMICS led a statewide audit of the quality of multidisciplinary meetings (MDMs) benchmarked against the Victorian MDM Quality Framework.

Completed

Improving MDM Governance and Quality

NEMICS presented a poster on MDM Governance at COSA 2024

Completed

Contacts

For more information on this statewide VICS program, please contact:

  • Seleena Sherwell – Program Director, SMICS <seleena.sherwell@monashhealth.org>
  • Virginia Mitsch – Acting Director, HRICS <virginia.mitsch@gvhealth.org.au>
  • Jenny Thresher – Senior Project Manager, SMICS <Jennifer.thresher@monashhealth.org>
  • Sian Wright – Project Lead, Cancer Service Improvement, HRICS <Sian.Wright@humerics.humehealth.org.au>

Projects

Contact