Background
Psycho-oncology services provide beneficial care for cancer patients in improving their mental health and wellbeing. Australian rural hospitals often face limitations in access to such services, which can be attributed to staffing, education/awareness of mental health, and access. There is currently no consistent screening process to systematically identify levels of distress, psychosocial need, or urgency. As a result, the severity and timeliness of mental health needs may not always be clearly communicated through referrals, potentially reducing efficient allocation of resources.
Aims
Redesign the referral pathway for the Psycho-oncology clinic at a rural Australian hospital to streamline triage processes and improve equitable care provided to cancer patients.
Method
A formal review of the current referral and workflow of the Psycho-oncology service was undertaken to identify gaps and concerns. Analysis of the referral processes, appointment bookings, resource provision and escalation of risk was conducted.
Results
Key gaps identified included the absence of routine distress screening, unclear referral criteria, and suboptimal utilisation of available Psycho-oncology resources. A revised pathway was developed to incorporate routine distress screening using validated tools (PHQ-9 ,GAD-7, FCR-SF), adopting different triage streams, and integrating the mental health triage service for higher risk patients. Visualisation of the pathways will be available in the poster.
Conclusion
A redesign of the Psycho-oncology referral pathway was created in a rural health service context and has the potential to improve timely and equitable access to care. This model offers a scalable approach for other rural oncology services seeking to better integrate psychosocial support into routine cancer care.