Improving Access to Cancer Rehabilitation in South West Victoria

Retrospective analysis of oncology rehabilitation participation rates in South West Victoria.

BSWRICS was proud to partner with St John of God Warrnambool Hospital on a project exploring how many people undergoing local cancer treatment in South West Victoria accessed oncology rehabilitation programs during the 2023 calendar year.

Exercise is recognised as an important part of cancer care. It can help reduce treatment-related fatigue, improve physical function and wellbeing, and support people throughout their cancer journey and beyond.

The project examined participation and completion rates in formal oncology rehabilitation programs offered across South West health services. While the findings highlighted the value of these programs, they also identified opportunities to make them more accessible.

What the project found

• The analysis showed that:
• Less than 6% of patients attended rehabilitation.
• Patients who had a longer treatment duration were more likely to attend rehabilitation.
• Most patients who attended rehabilitation (77%), began rehabilitation during treatment with very few commencing rehabilitation prior to local treatment
• Patients who had multiple types of treatment (chemotherapy/immunotherapy, radiotherapy and/or surgery) were more likely to attend rehabilitation.

Looking ahead

The findings help inform future work aimed at improving access to exercise and rehabilitation services for people affected by cancer in regional communities.

Key recommendations include:

• Further research to understand barriers to attendance and completion.
• Strengthen referral systems.
• Embed exercise and oncology rehabilitation as standard care.
• Develop innovative, multidisciplinary and potentially telehealth-enabled rehabilitation models designed for regional populations.

Project partners

This project was led by St John of God Warrnambool Hospital in partnership with Icon Cancer Centre Warrnambool and was part-funded by The Peter’s Project Foundation.

BSWRICS contributed as a project partner alongside Western Alliance (in-kind statistical support). Participating health services included:

• St John of God Warrnambool Hospital
• ICON Cancer Centre Warrnambool
• South West Healthcare, Warrnambool campus
• Western District Health Service, Hamilton Hospital
• Portland District Health

Through strong collaboration across the region, this project provides valuable insights that can help improve cancer care and support better health outcomes for people living in South West Victoria.