Palliative Nexus

DEVELOPING PATHWAYS TO PAIN MANAGEMENT AND EARLY PALLIATIVE CARE FOR PEOPLE WITH PALLIATIVE CARE 

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In accordance with The National Pancreatic Cancer Roadmap Key Priority Areas developed by Cancer Australia, the objectives of this project were to produce: 

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• A standardised pathway for timely referral (rapid access model) to specialist pain management which includes pain needs assessment tool, clinical guidance, health professional education modules and patient information for presentation in a web-based platform.

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• A standardised pathway for early referral to palliative care which includes clinical guidance. Accompanying each of these pathways were an implementation plan and digital technology recommendations for incorporation into clinical care and workflow systems.

The project team adopted a mixed methodological approach involving rapid reviews of the literature, environmental scans of the field including grey literature and online resources/information, targeted interviews, expert review and refinement in tandem with key stakeholder and community feedback.

The pathways were presented for review to multiple stakeholders, including consumers, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members, cultural experts, specialist and primary health care professionals across all states and territories of Australia. Stakeholders were asked about barriers and enablers to implementation and strategies they recommended to embed the pathways into practice. The work represents the views from all sectors of the community with focused engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, culturally and linguistically diverse and regional/rural community members.