Approximately 5.5 million people have disability in Australia, representing 21% of the population. People with disability experience inequities throughout cancer care, including lower participation in screening, increased barriers to timely diagnosis and treatment, and higher cancer-related mortality. In 2023, the Australian Government launched the Australian Cancer Plan (the Plan) to address disparities and improve equity in cancer outcomes. The Optimal Care Pathway (OCP) for People with Disability will be the first national standard of cancer care addressing the inequities that people with disability face.
This presentation will highlight opportunities to improve cancer care for people with disability, informed by the OCP for People with Disability. Drawing on literature, targeted stakeholder consultations, and the expertise of the project's working group, including members with lived and professional experience, it will present examples of best practice across the seven steps and principles of the OCP. Key topics include the implementation of reasonable adjustments, ensuring physical, equipment and information accessibility, including safe transfer and positioning where required, strengthening accessible communication, anticipatory planning for how cancer treatment may interact with a person’s disability, secondary health risks, equipment and support arrangements, supported decision-making, building workforce capability, and improving coordination between the health and disability systems.
The OCP provides a practical framework for health professionals and health services to evaluate and improve the accessibility and quality of their care. The development of the OCP has highlighted that nationally consistent guidance must be developed in genuine partnership with people with disability, alongside available research and current best practice, to reflect the diverse access and support needs associated with physical, sensory, intellectual, psychosocial, communication and multiple disabilities. The OCP can provide a tool for services to identify and remove barriers, plan and document reasonable adjustments, and measure improvements in safety, experience, treatment continuity and outcomes.