Victorian Aboriginal Cancer Journey Strategy

Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO)

Who funded the project

 

Karabena Consulting was engaged to develop the Victorian Aboriginal Cancer Journey Strategy (the Strategy) and the Monitoring Evaluation and Learning Framework, with the work overseen by VACCHO.
To complete this project, we reviewed existing Aboriginal cancer literature and undertook a range of consultations including semi-structured interviews and workshops.
The Strategy is novel in that it:

  • supports Aboriginal person- and family-centred care that embeds culture at every step of the Cancer Journey

  • includes a focus on home care

  • reconceptualises end-of-life care as Journey to Dreaming care

  • aligns with the social and emotional wellbeing concept and maintains the connection of Aboriginal people with cancer to their families, kin, communities, and Country

  • is culturally safe and is trauma-informed

Summary

 

To develop the Victorian Aboriginal Cancer Journey Strategy and associated Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Framework by incorporating culturally relevant person-centred design and methodologies.

Project Aims

 

Karabena Consulting identified key themes to develop the Strategy by:

  • Reviewing existing Aboriginal cancer literature:

    • Menzies School of Health Research: Desktop Review to Consolidate the Knowledge and Evidence for Three Priority Issues in the Cancer Care System

    • VACCHO Cancer Journey Themes Report

  • Undertook consultations in the form of semi-structured interviews and online workshops with:

    • Aboriginal Hospital Liaison Officers from various hospitals around Victoria

    • Aboriginal people in Victoria with lived experience of cancer (including their carers)

    • Cancer field leaders from across Australia

    • VACCHO’s Aboriginal Cancer Journey Advisory Group and invited data experts

    • Members of VACCHO’s Cancer Journey team

    • ACCO leaders and staff

 To ensure the consultations were culturally safe and trauma informed, they were led by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Methodologies

 

We have aligned the Strategy with the human rights framework and Aboriginal people in Victoria’s right to health, to non-discrimination and to cultural safety in health services, and their cultural rights in the context of the Cancer Journey. We have also applied Aboriginal Ways of Knowing, Being and Doing to the co-design, development, and implementation of this Strategy. We privileged Aboriginal community voices in this Strategy and the Strategy is an example of Aboriginal people living in Victoria’s collective right to self-determination in action.

Methodological outcomes

 

Outputs

 

The goal of the Strategy is to complement the Optimal Care Plan, embed Aboriginal Ways and culture into the Cancer Journey in Victoria, and close cancer equality of opportunity and outcomes gaps in the State. A noteworthy innovation to that end is the establishment of Aboriginal Cancer Care Teams, including cancer care system navigators, to support an Aboriginal person and their family on their Cancer Journey in Victoria.

Project Outcomes

 

Victorian Aboriginal Cancer Journey; Aboriginal Cancer Care Teams; Aboriginal Ways of Knowing, Being and Doing; Optimal Care Pathway; cancer; VACCHO; cultural safety; community controlled; trauma-informed care; social and emotional wellbeing

Key Words

 
Camille Gonza