EL26 - The role of the regional cancer care critical paths to establish a regional medical network

Abstract

Scince 2006, when the Basic Law of Management of Cancer was established, Japanese Government has set up the based-hospitals that are specialized for cancer diagnosis and treatment. In Kumamoto Prefecture, the task force team for the regional critical paths was launched. It performed surveys for clinic doctors and pharmacies to clarify their needs, and then produced the program of "My Karte". My Karte contains not only path but also a patient's medical information, messages between patients and medical staffs, and information about "the Salon for Cancer Patients" where patients talk and take care of each other. Kumamoto Prefecture also adopted coordinators for My Karte program to help the patients, their families, and the staffs in the based-hospitals and clinics. In Kanagawa Prefecture, own task force was also constructed and produced common critical paths, but the performance of them was quite limited. The contents of paths between Kumamoto and Kanagawa are almost same but Kanagawa has no special coordinators for the paths. The paths may be a useful tool for making regional medical network, but it must be insufficient by itself. We need a kind of network supporters or coordinators to establish good and functional medical network in the community in Japan. Here, I would like to introduce "the regional cancer care navigator" program launched by Japanese Society of Clinical Oncology as a candidate of supporter for the better regional medical network.