Indigenous Australians with cancer face poorer treatment and survival outcomes compared to non-Indigenous Australians due to a complex array of factors.
To identify the needs of Indigenous Australians with cancer, we developed the Supportive Care Needs Assessment Tool for Indigenous People (SCNAT-IP). The tool comprises 27 questions relating to physical and psychological needs, hospital care, information and communication, as well as practical and cultural needs.
During the year, through a grant from Cancer Australia, our team trained health professionals at three sites around Australia in the use of the tool, with a further two workshops planned.
The implementation of the tool into routine cancer care will be evaluated in 2018.
A website, scnatip.org, has been launched and an online training module is being developed with the goal of making the tool more widely available.