University of New England, Tamworth; Roche Products, Dee Why; and Calvary Mater Newcastle, Waratah, New South Wales, Australia
University of New England, Tamworth; Roche Products, Dee Why; and Calvary Mater Newcastle, Waratah, New South Wales, Australia.
J Oncol Pract. 2014 May;10(3):e146-9. doi: 10.1200/JOP.2013.001228. Epub 2014 Mar 25.
Approximately one third of Australians with cancer live in regional and rural areas of the country. They have a lower rate of survival than those in city areas because of less availability of diagnostic and treatment services, later diagnosis, and lower socioeconomic status. This article explores rural oncology and how it allows patients to access specialist services usually available only to those situated in major cities. As the remoteness of hospitals increases, treatment and support are increasingly provided by less specialized staff. Rural oncology services offer patients access to an oncologist in their community. It combines research with community care. It puts together a whole team of oncologists, general practitioners, nursing and support staff, other allied health staff, and patients and their families. The use of technology, enabling teleconferencing and videoconferencing, allows contact among all members of a patient's care team and the patient. It allows for shared care of the patient with the general practitioner during follow-up and results in a reduction in hospital visits. This article gives an overview of the rural oncology experience in the New England region of Australia and of the future direction of the oncology team in this region. This includes community-oriented projects focused on improving cancer care for patients of the New England region, including one involving the Aboriginal community.
大约三分之一的澳大利亚癌症患者居住在该国的偏远地区和农村地区。由于诊断和治疗服务的不足、诊断较晚以及较低的社会经济地位，他们的生存率低于城市地区的患者。本文探讨了农村肿瘤学，以及它如何使患者能够获得通常只有大城市患者才能获得的专科服务。随着医院的偏远程度增加，治疗和支持越来越由非专业人员提供。农村肿瘤学服务为患者提供了在其社区获得肿瘤学家的机会。它将研究与社区护理相结合。它汇集了一支由肿瘤学家、全科医生、护理和支持人员、其他辅助医疗人员以及患者及其家属组成的整个团队。使用技术，实现远程会议和视频会议，使患者护理团队的所有成员与患者之间能够保持联系。它允许全科医生在随访期间共同照顾患者，从而减少了患者的住院次数。本文概述了澳大利亚新英格兰地区的农村肿瘤学经验，以及该地区肿瘤学团队的未来发展方向。这包括以社区为导向的项目，重点是改善新英格兰地区患者的癌症护理，其中包括一个涉及原住民社区的项目。
