Poster Presentation Clinical Oncology Society of Australia Annual Scientific Meeting 2026

Launch of ECORRA Access: Co-designing solutions to improve the uptake and experience of travelling to major cities to receive specialist cancer care among adults living in rural and remote areas (146502)

Skye Marshall 1 , Linda Rossow 2 , Harry Gasper 3 4 , Elizabeth A Johnston 1 5 , Michelle Blumfield 1 , David Allin 4 , Charlene Wright 1 , Helena Rodi 1 , Anna Chapman 1 , Sharina Riva 1 , Carolyn Becker 2 , David Hogan 3 , Shelley Knight 3 , Peter Baade 5 , Kath Thompson 6 , Georgia Parker 4 , Fiona Crawford-Williams 7 , Hannah Jongebloed 1 , Anna Ugalde 1
  1. Institute for Health Transformation, Deakin University, Burwoord, Victoria, Australia
  2. ECORRA National Consumer Program, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
  3. Sunshine Coast University Private Hospital, Ramsay Health Care, Birtinya, QLD, Australia
  4. Sunshine Coast University Hospital, Birtinya, QLD, Australia
  5. Cancer Council Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
  6. Wishlist Centre, Sunshine Coast Health Foundation, Birtinya, QLD, Australia
  7. Caring Futures Institute, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia

Aims: People living in rural areas of Australia experience 13% lower odds of cancer survival. Travel requirements for specialist cancer treatment can present complex barriers compounded by socioeconomic determinants that influence access to and uptake of recommended care. The overarching aim of the ECORRA Access project is to improve opportunities to access cancer-specific Optimal Care Pathways among adults diagnosed with cancer in rural and remote areas by enhancing the uptake and experience of clinically recommended travel to major cities for cancer treatment.

Methods: Funded from 2026-2029 by the Ramsay Hospital Research Foundation, the project will use the British Design Council’s Systematic Design Framework across three phases: 1) Discovery Phase: convergent mixed-methods design to explore how non-medical challenges affect the decision to, and experience of, travel for recommended treatment by rural living adults with cancer, and their family carers. 2) Co-Design Phase: participatory and iterative engagements with consumers and other stakeholders to develop solutions, such as practical and psychosocial travelling supports. 3) Test Phase: preference testing, user acceptability testing, and service integration assessments to evaluate and refine the proposed solutions, ensuring they are implementation-ready within partnering hospitals and scalable. Travel to three metropolitan-based sites including private and public hospitals on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland will inform project phases.

Results: A timely and policy-relevant support package hypothesised to increase access to optimal cancer care for adults living in rural and remote areas affected by cancer by improving the uptake and experience of clinically recommended travel to major cities for cancer treatment.

Conclusions: This consumer-centered project addresses a critical equity gap in timely, safe and quality recommended cancer treatment and support for rural and remote living adults in Australia by developing evidence-informed approaches, strengthened through collaboration with Ramsay, Queensland Health, Cancer Council Queensland, Wishlist.