Putting patients’ lives at the centre of cancer care
At our recent Medical Advisory Committee meeting, we spoke with a group of private practice oncologists about how we can best enhance our cancer services.
Q: From your perspective, what are cancer patients most concerned about when they start treatment?
“Sometimes you see it in patients’ eyes – they are not only scared of the word ‘cancer’ and the possible consequences, but of the disruption to their lives.”
“They are asking themselves how they are going to deal with the logistics of treatment and how they will live their lives around their treatment.”
Q: How does clinical homecare change that experience?
“Sciensus is quite unique in its approach, because the care is built around the patient, rather than patients trying to fit their lives around the treatment.”
“With treatment coming to the patient, they are actually able to have some of their life back and some of their time back – the time they would otherwise spend travelling and waiting.”
Q: Has the experience since COVID changed expectations about where care can safely happen?
“Especially since COVID, we have learned just how much can be done safely outside the hospital – and many cancer patients are genuinely surprised when they realise their treatment can be delivered at home.”
“They often tell us they never imagined something as serious as cancer treatment could be managed safely in their own living room, with a specialist nurse beside them.”
Q: What difference does being at home make to the interaction between patients and clinicians?
“Instead of spending that time on the road or in waiting rooms, patients spend it with a healthcare professional in the comfort of their home, asking questions and having longer discussions.”
“Sometimes patients actually tell their nurses more than they tell their doctors in the constraints of a short hospital appointment, when they do not want to take up too much of their time.”
Q: Why is this important as we look at improving cancer services more broadly?
“It is a unique set up for cancer patients. Building care around their lives, and giving them more time and space to talk, supports a much more personalised approach to treatment.”
Insights like these, shared through our MAC meetings, help us refine how Sciensus designs and delivers cancer homecare so that services fit around patients’ real lives.
