Resources and tools

Needs assessment initiative

The needs assessment improvement initiative aims to empower patients to identify their own needs when they are ready, and to seek advice and support using available resources.

• Needs assessment initiative
• Information resource to support the delivery of the needs assessment initiative
• Video providing an overview of the needs assessment initiative (note this video was developed for the purposes of the Statewide Collaboration project so there may be some references to the pilot phase of that project)

Survivorship care planning initiative

Survivorship care plans involve a range of components and as such, this initiative is referred to as the survivorship care planning initiative and outlines a ‘stepped’ approach to support health services with varying capacity. Each step builds upon the next and is reflective of a hierarchy of intervention support, i.e. from least to most intensive support. 

• Survivorship care planning initiative
• Information resource to support delivery of the survivorship care planning initiative
• Video providing an overview of the survivorship care planning initiative (note this video was developed for the purposes of the Statewide Collaboration project so there may be some references to the pilot phase of that project)

Other resources to support delivery of the survivorship care planning initiative:

• mycareplan.org.au, an online survivorship care plan generator (available for six cancer types)
• Survivorship care plan templates
• Treatment summary template
• Follow-up schedule template

Combined needs assessment and survivorship care planning initiative

Given that a needs assessment should inform the development of a personalised survivorship care plan as part of quality survivorship care, a combined needs assessment and survivorship care planning approach is acceptable and encouraged if health services feel they had sufficient capacity to implement both initiatives.

• Combined needs assessment and survivorship care planning initiative
• Information resource to support delivery of the combined needs assessment and survivorship care planning initiative

These resources were designed to support health services to prepare and plan for the implementation of survivorship quality improvement initiatives. To assist with keeping track of required tasks and monitoring progress. Intended to be used during regular ICS and health service site meetings. 

• Implementation checklist: includes prompts to think about the ‘who’, ‘what’, ‘where’, ‘when’, ‘how’ of quality improvement initiative implementation (word document)
• Implementation action plan: to assist health services and ICS to keep track of required tasks and monitor progress, can be used during ICS and health service meetings (word document)
• Patient Identification Guidance: Guidance to support identifying patients suitable for survivorship initiatives: This resource discusses the terms cancer survivor and survivorship care and provides strategies and real-world examples to support the identification of patients suitable for survivorship initiatives.

These resources were designed support health services to collect data during the implementation of the needs assessment and survivorship care planning initiatives. These templates can be modified and adapted by health services to suit their individual needs and preferences.  

• Data collection register template – survivorship care planning
• Data collection register template – needs assessment

• Hospital based health professionals (8 minutes) 
• Hospital based health professionals – for educators (4 minutes). Use this video in workshops, and team meetings 
• General practice staff (8 minutes) 
• General practice staff – for educators (4 minutes). Use this video in workshops, and team meetings 

The Australian Cancer Survivorship Centre has developed an online education resource: Cancer Survivorship course. 

Visit our Health professional events and Survivorship education pages for more online learning opportunities.   

The multilingual glossary has over 700 cancer terms in nine different languages. It has been designed as a resource for professional translators, interpreters and bilingual health professionals working in the cancer field. The glossary is a unique central tool that enables language professionals with access to accurate, consistent, and culturally and linguistically appropriate terminology.  

This project is a Cancer Australia Supporting people with cancer Grant initiative, funded by the Australian Government. 

• Arabic
• English
• Greek
• Hindi
• Italian
• Simplified Chinese
• Tagalog
• Traditional Chinese
• Vietnamese

Victoria’s Integrated Cancer Services (ICS) are the Victorian Cancer Clinical Network and comprise clusters of hospitals and associated health services that deliver services for people with all types of cancers within a geographic area. 

For information about each ICS, including participating health services and service directories, please visit the Victorian Integrated Cancer Services website. 

Primary Health Networks (PHNs) have been established with the key objectives of increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of medical services for patients, particularly those at risk of poor health outcomes, and improving coordination of care to ensure patients receive the right care in the right place at the right time. To find out more visit the Department of Health website or click below to find a network in your state. 

State and Territory maps 

• New South Wales
• Victoria
• Queensland
• Western Australia
• South Australia
• Tasmania
• Northern Territory
• Australian Capital Territory