Printer FriendlyMultidisciplinary Care
Achieving best practice cancer care
Multidisciplinary care aims to ensure that all patients receive the benefit of communication between all members of the health team in regard to their treatment and care plan. All aspects of a cancer patient’s physical and supportive care needs are the focus of multidisciplinary meetings (MDMs) and these meetings are held regularly in the Grampians Region based on cancer type. The aim is to facilitate best-practice management for the patient and to develop an appropriate care plan which is communicated to the whole team. An identified team member conveys the plan to the patient so that an informed choice about treatment can be made by the patient.
Achieving best practice cancer care (Victorian Government Policy document)
The development and facilitation of multidisciplinary meetings forms a major part of what GICS does in the Grampians Region.
Four GICS staff facilitate MDM meetings – Carole Jones, Robyn McIntyre, Lea Marshall, and Nicole Pelchen. Meetings are held on a regular basis – fortnightly or monthly and a number of tumour streams (cancers) are covered including:
* Breast
* Thoracic (lung)
* Colorectal (bowel)
* Gut (upper gastrointestinal cancers)
* Head & Neck
* Neuro Oncology (tumours of the brain)
* Gynaecological tumours
* Lymphomas
* Wimmera (all tumour streams are covered)
Further MDMs are in the planning stage to cover other tumour streams.
