PREp-4-Cancer Surgery Toolkit
Preparing patients for better outcomes after cancer surgery
The WCMICS funded, Prep-4-Cancer Surgery project developed and evaluated an evidence-based online Toolkit to help health services establish and deliver multidisciplinary prehabilitation programs for patients undergoing major gastrointestinal and gynaecological cancer surgery. Led by Peter Mac in collaboration with consumers and partners from Western Health, St Vincent’s, Bendigo Health, Mercy Health, the Royal Women’s Hospital, Cancer Council Victoria and the North Western Melbourne Primary Health Network, the project used a co-design approach to create clinician, service and patient-facing resources.
The Toolkit, available at prep4cancersurgery.org was piloted at Western Health and evaluated across three health services. Results showed high acceptability (79 %), improved clinician knowledge (90 %), and confidence (74 %), with most participants believing it would positively impact patient outcomes (94 %). The project also established a Community of Practice to sustain collaboration and shared learning.
By providing freely accessible, evidence-based materials, Prep-4-Cancer Surgery enables broader adoption of prehabilitation models that improve surgical readiness, recovery, and patient experience across Victoria and beyond.
