Optimal Care Pathways (OCP)

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SEMPHN is part of a state-wide initiative to localise Optimal Care Pathways (OCPs) supported by the Victorian Government. The OCPs have been developed to help people diagnosed with cancer receive the best possible care, OCPs have been developed to map a patient's optimal cancer journey across 15 different cancer types.

Resources have been developed for both patients and health professionals and describe the key stages in a patient’s cancer journey from diagnosis to survivorship or end of life care, the key principles, and expected standards of care at each point.

The guides have been endorsed by the National Cancer Expert Reference Group, Cancer Australia and Cancer Council Australia.

Patients, their family and carers can use the consumer versions to better understand an often complex health system, and to know what questions to ask of their health professionals to ensure they receive the best care at every step.

OCPs include:

• Detailed pathways and quick reference guides
• Patient 'What to expect' consumer guides
• Instructions on how to import there resources into your clinical software
• I-PACED resource cards

Referral pathways

• Oncology referral pathway
• Urgent or routine general surgery referral
• Urgent or routine haematology referral
• Urgent or routine orthopaedic referral

Localised Optimal Care Pathways Referral Pathways

• Acute Myeloid Leukaemia
• B-Cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (B-CLL)
• Breast cancer
• Cancer of unknown primary
• Cervical cancer
• Colorectal Cancer Pathway 
• Endometrial cancer
• Familial cancer syndromes
• Head and Neck cancer (oral lesions)
• High-grade glioma
• Hodgkin Lymphoma
• Liver cancer
• Lung Cancer Pathway
• Melanoma
• Oesophagogastric Cancer
• Ovarian cancer
• Pancreatic cancer
• Prostate Cancer
• Sarcoma
• Skin cancer (non-melanoma)

Implementing Pathways for Cancer Early Diagnosis (I-PACED)

The Cancer Council Victoria and The University of Melbourne Department of General Practice have developed a resource package to increase early cancer detection and decrease late presentation of the cancer types below and highlight recommendations in the Optimal Care Pathways. The resources provide information and tools to increase GP awareness about:

• prevention and risk factors relevant to each cancer
• screening/testing recommendations, including PSA testing decision aid which may assist in conversations with asymptomatic men
• Evidence-based risk assessment tools to help assess patients with symptoms associated with prostate and oesophagogastric cancer, and to identify possible high risk patients

To view copies of the I-PACED resources, please click on the links below. Alternatively, you can This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to obtain hard copies of the resources (SEMPHN catchment only).

• Prostate cancer IPACED resource card
• Oesophagogastric cancer IPACED resource card
• Lung cancer IPACED resource card
• Colorectal cancer IPACED resource care
• Brain cancer IPACED resource card
• Head and neck cancer IPACED resource card
• Pancreatic cancer IPACED resource card
• Endometrial cancer IPACED resource card
• Lymphoma cancer IPACED resource card
• Ovarian cancer IPACED resource card

Associated tags

• optimal care pathways
• pathways