Poster Presentation Clinical Oncology Society of Australia Annual Scientific Meeting 2026

Integrating coordinated informal care into supportive, patient-centred cancer care (146067)

Lauren Smith 1 , Susan Palmer 2
  1. Gather My Crew, Toowoomba
  2. Gather My Crew, Melbourne

Introduction: People affected by cancer rely on family, friends, and community members for practical and emotional support alongside clinical care. Informal care is vital, yet it's often uncoordinated, contributing to fragmented supportive care and carer burnout. Cancer nurses are well placed to identify support gaps, initiate conversations about informal care, and support patients and carers to coordinate care beyond the clinical setting. Integrating coordinated informal care into routine cancer nursing practice strengthens supportive, patient-centred care and continuity between clinical services and community support.

Objectives/Aims:

  1. Enhance quality and sustainability of informal care for cancer patients.
  2. Reduce carer burnout by distributing responsibilities.
  3. Improve patient adherence to treatment plans.
  4. Demonstrate the benefits of coordinated informal care.
  5. Empower cancer care nurses to discuss coordinated informal care.

Methodology: Gather My Crew is a free app that helps patients and carers articulate care needs, facilitates structured support from family and friends, and provides educational tips and resources to improve caring confidence. The platform has been widely used among cancer patients, with data collected from user engagement and impact reports.

Results/Outcomes: Since launch, Gather My Crew has enabled 90,000 Australians to provide more than 400,000+ hours of targeted, informal care to patients at home. Key outcomes include:

  • 300% increase in informal care availability.
  • Reduced carer stress and burnout.
  • Strengthened social networks, enhancing emotional wellbeing.
  • Increased integration through partnerships with cancer care nurses.

Conclusion: Coordinated informal care is a practical and scalable approach to enhancing supportive and patient-centred cancer care for both patients and carers. When integrated into routine practice, cancer nurses can initiate conversations about coordinated informal care and provide patients and carers with tools to bridge gaps between clinical care and community support, improving continuity across the cancer journey. Structured coordination of informal care supports patient wellbeing, reduces carer burden, and complements existing healthcare services.