Poster Presentation Clinical Oncology Society of Australia Annual Scientific Meeting 2026

International collaboration for cancer care improvement: An evaluation of a work shadowing experience by Cambodian clinicians at an Australian tertiary hospital     (146563)

Marissa Ryan 1 2 , Roza Chin 3 , Ratha Mils 4 , Sovannara Sovath 5 , Sunnorin Kang 6 , Aaron Hansen 7 , Doreen Tapsall 7 , Thet Ko Aung 8 , Sokha Suon 8 , Diogo Neves 8 , Afredo Polo 8 , Pich Bunthoeun 8 , Adriana Alminana 8 , Desmond Yip 9
  1. Pharmacy Department, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
  2. School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
  3. Oncology Department, Khmer-Soviet Friendship Hospital, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
  4. Calmette Hospital, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
  5. Oncology Department, National Paediatric Hospital, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
  6. Oncology and Radiotherapy Department, Laung Me Hospital, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
  7. Division of Cancer Services, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
  8. City Cancer Challenge, Geneva, Switzerland
  9. The Canberra Hospital, Canberra, ACT, Australia

Background:
Cambodia is seeking to strengthen the safe handling of cancer medicines and enhance cancer care services. To support this objective, cancer institutions across Phnom Penh collaborated with City Cancer Challenge, the Clinical Oncology Society of Australia, and subject matter experts from an Australian hospital to develop an international work shadowing initiative. 

Aim:
To evaluate the experiences of a Cambodian delegation (n=10) who participated in a one-week cancer services work shadowing program at an Australian tertiary metropolitan hospital.

Method:
Participants were invited to complete a post-program survey. Topics explored included the most valuable aspects of the experience, perceived opportunities for practice improvement within their institutions, and recommendations for future programs. The survey incorporated multiple-choice questions, Likert-scale ratings, and free-text responses. Quantitative data were summarised descriptively, while qualitative responses were analysed thematically.

Results:
All ten delegates completed the survey (100% response rate), including three pharmacists, three nurses, two paediatric oncologists, one medical oncologist, and one onco-haematologist. Seven participants (70%) rated the program as extremely valuable and three (30%) as very valuable. All respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the program enhanced their understanding of multidisciplinary cancer care, strengthened their clinical knowledge and skills, increased their confidence to contribute to cancer service improvements, and improved their ability to advocate for practice change. Key learning themes included the understanding the medication circuit, workflow, professional roles, pharmacist-led clinical verification, cancer therapy compounding practices, and medication safety governance processes. Delegates identified opportunities to strengthen multidisciplinary collaboration, implement standardised procedures, expand pharmacist and nursing roles, and improve medication safety.

Conclusion:
The work shadowing program successfully enhanced participants’ understanding of robust medication safety systems and multidisciplinary cancer care workflows, while identifying practical opportunities to strengthen cancer services and support workforce development in Cambodia.