Enhancing efficiency and outcome in cancer care integrating patient's and survivorship perspectives

Abstract

Abstract Although the Austrian health care system generally presents the highest standards and excellence structures of cancer care, patient outcomes continue to lag behind in the global comparison with respect to include the patient's perspective in cancer care. Therefore, potential inefficiencies must be considered in future health system development to achieve more efficient processes and higher outcomes for patients suffering from cancer. The contribution presents the development of the All.Can initiative in Austria, in line with a cancer care framework and derived health targets for patients suffering from cancer including a special focus on the patient's and survivorship perspectives and enhancing the influence of patient organisations in current Austrian cancer care. The proceeding is based on a systemic and applied approach to embed All.Can Austria in the national health landscape and ensure a strategic orientation with a concept paper including literature review and stakeholder research. One important point was to include health professionals in the process and experts from different political sectors with a strong relationship to health according to the concept of health in all policies, referring to the real needs of e.g. patients and cancer survivors. The next step consisted of the development of a policy framework for all sectors to empower patient organisations to gain more efficient structures that incorporates multi-stakeholder involvement. The developed cancer care framework and targets of All.Can Austria aiming at new priorities in Austrian cancer care, creating high-level political commitment to patient outcomes and providing a basis for the empowerment of patient organisations, in consequence changing the system step by step and piloting innovations in cancer care. A special tool will support the allocation of resources for projects in prevention and health promotion linked to the developed health policy framework. Key messages Establishing the All.Can initiative in Austria to empower patient organisations by building innovative structures in Austrian cancer care. Enhancing efficiencies and patient outcomes in cancer care according to health in all policies.