Improving cancer care for people with disabilities
People with disabilities face barriers in cancer care, including delayed diagnosis, inaccessible facilities, and poor coordination. Misalignment between disability and cancer services makes it harder to provide consistent, accessible care, and there is limited guidance to support coordinated, scalable approaches.
Project Background
A case study involving three people with disabilities and their carers as they navigated cancer care was conducted. This highlighted how specialised navigation can improve outcomes and support multidisciplinary care, there was limited measurable evidence or guides of an integrated, cancer-specific disability support model. Addressing these gaps is essential to improve equity, quality of care, and health outcomes.
These lived experiences have informed the development of Improving Cancer Care for People with Disabilities. This work creates an opportunity to support more inclusive and coordinated care through a practical, evidence-informed toolkit.
This project is being led by Southern Melbourne Integrated Cancer Services (SMICS) in partnership with Monash Health.
Project Goal
This project aims to develop a toolkit to support optimal cancer care for people with disabilities by improving access, coordination, and outcomes. It will help health services and multidisciplinary teams better identify and respond to accessibility needs, deliver more consistent, high‑quality care, and support scalable improvements in patient experience and workforce capability.
Expected outcomes
For people with disabilities and their carers:
- Better access to inclusive, coordinated cancer care
- Improved care experience and outcomes
For health service staff:
- Greater confidence in delivering inclusive care
- More consistent, efficient, and coordinated care delivery
Contact the Project Team
For more information about this project, please contact SMICS Senior Project Managers Jane Auchettl, Jennifer Thresher, and Claire Evans via smics@monashhealth.org.
