Virtual tour of Bendigo Regional Cancer Centre

In 2023–24, LMICS supported Bendigo Regional Cancer Centre (BRCC) to develop an online video that helps to guide and orientate new patients and their loved ones, as they navigate their cancer journey.

This accessible resource helps patients, families and carers to find their way and understand what to expect, reducing anxiety before arriving at the centre. It is the result of codesign by consumers, health professionals, project staff, regional health service partners, other vulnerable groups, and LMICS.

Former BRCC patient Tanya Smith co-led the VICS 2021 breast cancer summit – sharing her experiences of treatment and working with clinicians and other stakeholders to co-design actions that could address inequities in care. The summit generated a series of recommendations – including to improve the consistency of information provided at diagnosis and during treatment, and the way that information is presented.

After the summit, through her role as consumer representative on the LMICS Governance Group, Tanya’s advocacy and passion to make a difference in her local community resulted in the idea for a video to support information and navigation at the start of a patient’s cancer journey. The BRCC and LMICS strongly value consumer lived experience; Tanya’s idea was adopted and resourced as a BRCC priority project, under the pillar of care coordination and navigation support in the current Regional Cancer Services Plan 2023–2028.

The new resource was timely, given that BRCC sees around 1000 new patients each year, and forecasting indicates increased numbers in the years to come across the Loddon Mallee region. At the time, the Cancer Centre had no standard onboarding processes or tour to offer new patients.

Tanya’s vision and the need for a video was further verified with broader consumer voices in 2022, during consultation for development of the Bendigo Regional Cancer Services Plan 2023–2028. That consultation involved more than 110 stakeholders – including former patients, representatives of priority populations, and clinicians.

Consumer voices noted challenges on entry to cancer services as:

not knowing what to expect on first visit
difficulty in finding the cancer centre
lack of information on the centre’s range of services and supports and how to access them.

The codesign project to address these challenges involved four stages of work, over 12 months:

Stage 1. Concept and need

(Nov. 2022 – Feb. 2023)

Tanya drafted a video script and shared it with LMICS and BRCC
BRCC adopted vision and resourced project.

Stage 2. Project plan and preparation

(Mar. – Jul. 2023)

Working group established to oversee plan and script development – comprising local and regional consumers, a project manager, clinicians (from Bendigo Health, Kerang District Health and Swan Hill District Health) and LMICS
Professional videographer services procured
Script reviewed by Bendigo Health Corporate Affairs, to ensure alignment with organisation standards and principles.

Stage 3. Co-production

(Sept 23-Feb 23)

Regular progress reporting at Consumer Advisory Group and Cancer Services Senior Manager Group, BRCC
Filming and voiceovers (More than 10 hours)
Consent from all consumers and patients involved in filming.