The Southern Melbourne Integrated Cancer Service is a joint initiative of Alfred Health, Cabrini Health, Peninsula Health and Southern Health and aims to drive improvements in the delivery of cancer care within the southern metropolitan region.
Efficient MDT meeting discussions and treatment planning rely on the ability of health professionals to access and review all relevant clinical information when determining treatment recommendations. Clinicians within southern Melbourne identified issues regarding the limitations of the available technology within the existing meeting rooms, which caused delays within the meetings, and an inability to link with off-site clinicians involved in the patient’s care.
SMICS developed functional requirements and provided capital grants to its public member health services for the installation of an audio-visual (AV) and information and communications technology (ICT) system within four meeting rooms. The upgraded meeting rooms have facilitated:
· the use of virtual meeting technology and the establishment of linkages between clinicians at different campuses within and beyond southern Melbourne
· timely access and review of pathology and radiology
· in-meeting review of agreed treatment recommendations by all MDT members
Additionally, the Brighton campus of Cabrini Health has developed a clinical meeting room utilising similar technology.
The development of best-practice clinical meeting room facilities has resulted in significant quality and safety improvements. Evaluation of the refurbished meeting rooms was conducted via survey of MDT members. Feedback indicates increased clinician satisfaction with review of pathology and radiology investigations and their oversight of the documented recommendations for treatment. The AV and ICT system has also increased the potential for linkages, with several metropolitan based teams now exploring the potential to link with regionally-based clinicians in Gippsland.