Help us improve paediatric cancer care
Our team is committed to improving cancer care for those affected by childhood cancer, but we achieve our best when working with those who know first-hand what cancer care looks like, at home and in hospital.
Including the voices and perspectives of those with lived experiences is essential for us to improve experiences and outcomes in paediatric cancer care.
At PICS, these voices may look a little different compared to when you look at improving cancer care for adults. We work with consumers – patients, their families, and other caregivers – as either current or past users of health services, and the health professionals involved in the delivery of paediatric cancer care.
We seek the advice of, and collaborate with, people with lived experience and their representatives to help us design improvements and solutions. Whether you are a consumer or a health professional, your knowledge, skills, and experiences with paediatric cancer care help us to better support those affected by childhood cancer.
Work with us as a patient or caregiver
Our consumers are unique because they include children and young people, as well as their families and other caregivers. This means both that their experiences of cancer care, and opportunities to improve it, may be different compared to the adult cancer care space.
The invaluable ways consumers can get involved include:
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- sharing your experiences in an interview
- completing a survey
- using your lived experience to review and provide feedback on our resources for patients, families, and carers, such as brochures and fact sheets
- being part of group discussions or forums with other consumers
- using your first-hand knowledge to contribute as a consumer representative on a PICS project
- as a member of a health service consumer group, such as the RCH Children’s Cancer Centre (CCC) Carers Network
- joining the Victorian Paediatric Oncology Consumer Registry (see below).
Participation may be via face-to-face meetings, video conference, telephone, post, or email.
We also welcome your own ideas on how to improve paediatric cancer care in Victoria.
Join the Victorian Paediatric Oncology Consumer Registry
Our registry allows us to promote engagement and improvement opportunities (such as those listed above), and other information that may be of interest directly to our consumers. You can unsubscribe at any time by contacting us.
PICS Consumer Participation Framework
The PICS Consumer Participation Framework guides consumer engagement in our work, and helps those affected by childhood cancer to understand how they can make an impact.
The framework consists of four main principles:
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- valuing lived experience
- collaboration
- embracing diversity and expertise
- enabling and supporting participation.
Work with us as a health professional
We work extensively with health professionals that deliver care to and support those affected by childhood cancer.
We value your experience and perspectives, and opportunities to help guide and shape paediatric oncology services can include:
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- contributing as part of a project working group or steering committee
- reviewing our resources, such as brochures and fact sheets
- sharing your experiences in an interview
- completing a survey
- being part of group discussions or forums
- as a member or part of a group of a peak body organisation, such as the ANZCHOG Nursing Group.
Participation may be via face-to-face meetings, video conference, telephone, post, or email. See our project library for examples of work we have done with the support of health professionals.
We also welcome your own ideas on how to improve paediatric cancer care in Victoria.