The Service Improvement team at PICS work across a wide range of projects aligned to the Victorian Cancer Plan 2020-2024 and the VICS Implementation Plan 2020-2022.

​

Current projects include:

​

• Long Term Follow-Up Program Clinical Review: A full review of the existing service including patient experience survey and consumer workshops has been completed. Implementation of 37 recommendations has commenced, and will include significant transformation developing the GP and paediatrician shared-care model, improving transition experiences, enhancing research and data collection, and increasing care and support for high-risk patients/families.

​

• Medication Adherence at Home: The final project report has been completed with six key recommendations surrounding family education and resources, EMR functionality and medication management mobile apps. PICS will aim to support the implementation of the recommendations during 2022.

​

• Development of the Adolescent & Young Adult Optimal Care Pathway: A joint initiative between PICS and OnTrac at Peter Mac. The AYA OCP is now in the final editing stage. Discussions are underway with Cancer Australia and Cancer Council Victoria in regard to national circulation.

​

• Paediatric Oncology KPI development: Establishing the Victorian KPI’s for Paediatric Oncology for inclusion in the Victorian Cancer Performance Monitoring Framework (VCPMF). Formal report finalised detailing methods for collection. Collaborating with the Department of Health through the PICS data analyst, hospital Electronic Medical Record (EMR) teams, and other units for relevant hospital based collections to gather data for measurement.

​

• Pre & Post Chemotherapy Hydration at Home: A review of the existing service model and support for expansion of the program across tumour types and health services. Finalisation of an Evaluation Report is in progress.

​

• Digital Survivorship Companion (DiSC): Aiming to develop the DiSC, an app and online platform designed to support children, adolescents and families at the end of cancer treatment; the platform will house education resources as well as linking families to survivorship research projects and their individual treatment summaries and survivorship roadmaps. PICS are supporting the project with project management and clinical education expertise.

​

• Childhood Cancer Survivorship Registry: Aiming to design and build a secure and stable research registry that can be utilised to answer specific research questions.

​​

• Patient Scheduling System Refresh: Systematic updates and process improvements are in motion at the Monash Children's Hospital - 4C Reef Day Oncology unit to improve the way patients are booked in for their appointments. PICS is working closely with the team to introduce changes that will optimise patient flow and reduce wait times for patients & families.

​​

• Nutrition during treatment and beyond: Aiming to improve the nutrition education received by paediatric cancer patients, patient resources are being developed for young people requiring tube feeds; healthy eating for those who have completed treatment; and dealing with taste and textural changes during treatment.

​​

• Regional Outreach Shared Care program review: A review of Regional Outreach Shared Care Program (ROSCP), has been completed. Focus will now be on recommendations arising from the review, around supporting program expansion, improvements in data and reporting, and creating a sustainable program.​​

​

• Antifungal Prophylaxis e-Learning Module: Development and adaptation of the 'Antifungal Prophylaxis Guidelines in Peadiatric Cancers' into an e-Learning module.