Myeloma Virtual Chemotherapy Day Unit
A Virtual Model Increasing Access, Capacity, and Choice in Cancer Care
The Virtual Chemotherapy Day Unit (VCDU) project at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne developed a nurse-led telehealth model of care that allows patients with myeloma to safely self-administer subcutaneous chemotherapy and supportive therapies at home, under real-time virtual supervision.
The VCDU integrates seamlessly with hospital systems (PAS, MOSAIQ, MRO), maintaining expert nursing oversight while reducing hospital visits and freeing up chemotherapy chair capacity. Over a 36-week pilot, 26 patients completed 116 VCDU attendances, creating 178 hours of additional day-unit capacity—with no adverse events and 100% patient satisfaction.
The project produced comprehensive policies, SOPs, and patient education materials, and established multidisciplinary governance to support safe delivery. Results demonstrated reduced hospital attendance (by up to 100 %), lower treatment costs, and shorter treatment times, while preserving nursing contact and patient confidence.
The VCDU has since become a sustainable, ongoing model of care at SVHM and is now expanding to include additional subcutaneous therapies such as Daratumumab.
This innovative approach demonstrates how virtual care can enhance access, efficiency, and patient experience while maintaining clinical safety and workforce engagement
