pdf (468kb). This guide provides information on the implementation of multidisciplinary care.

Contents include:

• key principles of multidisciplinary care
• what is practically required to implement multidisciplinary care?
• what are the medico-legal implications of multidisciplinary care in an Australian context?

Outlines a plan to improve cancer treatment outcomes for rural and remote patients through the establishment of a network of regional cancer centres of excellence (RCCEs) in order to:

• substantially reduce the distance rural and remote cancer patients must travel to receive multidisciplinary cancer care in a capital city
• provide a considerable return on investments in radiotherapy equipment in regional centres by complementing costly (in capital outlays) radiation oncology services with additional oncology and allied health services
• contribute to ongoing enhancements in regional cancer care through stronger links between regional centres and major teaching hospitals, access to clinical trials and tissue banks and involvement in research programs
• operate as relay points for supporting remote services and communities, providing mentoring and referral links for rarer cancers and providing a template for setting up future centres in regional areas with similar populations that currently have no radiotherapy capacity
• foster an overall culture of medical excellence in local communities through improved recruitment and retention of specialised medical staff and by providing a platform for the introduction of diagnostic and other hi-tech imaging and medical services throughout regional Australia

For women with early breast cancer, multidisciplinary care has the potential to reduce mortality, improve quality of life and reduce healthcare costs. In Australia, the diversity of healthcare delivery settings and types of care means that a single model of multidisciplinary care may not be appropriate.

The Principles of multidisciplinary care were developed to provide a flexible framework for the provision of multidisciplinary care in Australia.

The Principles emphasise five key elements:

• the team
• communication
• access to the full range of therapies
• standards of care
• involvement of the woman

This flexible, principle-based approach to multidisciplinary care is unique. The Principles have the potential to be applied to other cancers and other chronic diseases.

A number of guides, proformas and resources are available as downloadable PDFs from the NBOCC about multidisciplinary cancer care including:

• Multidisciplinary care for advanced disease: a guide for cancer health professionals
• Multidisciplinary care - what are the medico-legal implications?
• Information about the new MBS items for multidisciplinary cancer care
• Making multidisciplinary cancer care a reality: A National Breast Cancer Centre - Forum Series Report and Recommendations
• Multidisciplinary cancer care in Australia: A demonstration project in breast cancer
• Multidisciplinary meetings for cancer care
• Sustainability of multidisciplinary cancer care: A follow-up study to the National Demonstration Project in breast cancer
• Multidisciplinary cancer care in Australia.

Multidisciplinary care proformas are available as downloadable word documents including:

• MDC patient information sheet
• MDC meeting attendance
• MDC recommended treatment plan
• GP notification - outcome of MDC meeting

Information for medical professionals about the various services offered and the vital role played in the multidisciplinary team by Allied Health carers for cancer patients at different stages of their journey; which may begin at diagnosis and treatment and continue intermittently as required to survivorship and palliative care.

A brief overview of the Allied Heath disciplines available at Peter Mac are included:

• Speech Pathology
• Physiotherapy
• Occupational Therapy
• Nutrition
• Social Work
• Music Therapy
• Psycho-Oncology
• Pastoral Care

pdf (301kb) Guide for improving communication between clinicians in cancer care. Contains a pro-forma template for communications within a multidisciplinary team.

Practical information about claiming the MBS item for multidisciplinary care introduced in 2006.

This toolkit was written to assist the development of multidisciplinary teams in all tumour streams.

The documents included in this toolkit are not intended to be prescriptive, but rather to prompt thought about the elements of best practice in multidisciplinary care.

The toolkit will assist in:

• developing team meeting protocols and establishing team practice;
• surveying existing meetings and ascertaining what might be necessary for newly forming teams;
• understanding how local multidisciplinary team meeting guidelines and protocols might appear and what they could contain;
• measuring the team‘s performance against the guidelines and protocols;
• developing or improving a multidisciplinary meeting agenda.

The purpose of this Multidisciplinary Team Resource Guide is to provide some practical advice to be used by clinical teams who are setting up or already running an MDT meeting.

The Guide puts forward 12 questions based upon the requirements of the Manual of Cancer Standards and offers as answers some examples of service improvement case studies, resources and possible options to be considered.