This theme focuses on understanding supportive care needs and evidence about effective and equitable cancer support services.
Directors
Key researchers
- Dr Jerram Bateman (Social and Behavioural Research Unit, University of Otago, Dunedin)
- Dr Karyn Maclennan (Ngāi Tahu Māori Health Research Unit, Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Pharmacoepidemiology Research Network, University of Otago, Dunedin)
Completed projects
A study of the supportive care programmes and services in New Zealand
This project involved interviews with cancer care providers (including oncologists, cancer nurse coordinators, supportive care providers such as the Cancer Society NZ, Māori providers, and primary care providers such as GP doctors and practice nurses) to better understand the environment of post-treatment cancer survivors in NZ. This included identifying the type of care available, how it can be accessed, and engagement with different groups (particularly Māori).
Results
Will be updated soon.
Publications
Publication pending.
Promoting health equity in bowel cancer screening
Screening programmes often fail to deliver equitably, with Māori and Pacific participation lower compared to NZ Europeans. This project aimed to improve equity in bowel screening. To do this, we talked to groups of Māori and Pacific people, as well as Māori and Pacific health experts to better understand what factors enable or prevent Māori and Pacific people from accessing bowel screening.
Results
Will be updated soon.
Publications
Publications pending.
Current and upcoming projects
Understanding the supportive care needs of Māori cancer survivors in the transition from active to post-treatment
This project will involve talking to Māori cancer survivors (interviews) to understand their supportive care experiences and needs, and to identify ways to better support Māori cancer survivors once they complete active treatment.
A co-designed pilot intervention for the provision of supportive care
This project aims to develop and trial an intervention that meets the supportive care needs of cancer survivors who are transitioning from active treatment to follow-up care. We will use a co-design approach (working with cancer survivors) to develop the intervention.
Improving cancer care: Talking about cancer
This project aims to improve the way cancer care specialists talk about cancer with their patients. We will use a co-design approach (working with consumers, cancer care specialists, and educators) to develop an intervention 'Talking about Cancer' for cancer care specialists.
Effective and equitable supportive care interventions
This project will test / implement supportive care interventions developed based on the results of other projects described in this theme.