Poster Presentation Clinical Oncology Society of Australia Annual Scientific Meeting 2023

Systemic barriers to the provision of professionally-led metastatic breast cancer support groups in Australia: expert interviews with key informants (#384)

Jasmine Ekaterina Persson 1 , Melanie Hamilton 2 , Grace Mackie 1 , Sophie Lewis 3 , Fran Boyle 1 4 , Andrea Smith 2
  1. Faculty of Medicine and Health, School of Medicine , University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  2. Daffodil Centre, University of Sydney, a joint venture with Cancer Council NSW, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  3. Sydney School of Health Sciences, Sydney School of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  4. Mater Hospital, North Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia

Background

Research demonstrates that stage-specific support groups for people living with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) are more appropriate and beneficial than mixed-stage groups. Despite this evidence, stage-specific MBC support groups are not widely available in Australia. This study aimed to explore the system- and organisational-level factors that potentially influence provision of MBC support groups from the perspective of key informants (KI) within cancer supportive care services. 

Methods

Participants (n=19) were identified based on their expertise in cancer supportive care and purposefully recruited using publicly available contact information. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews and analysed using inductive thematic analysis.

Results 

We identified three themes relating to systemic barriers and challenges to the provision of professionally-led MBC support groups: (1) the lack of a national framework that informs the governance, standards, delivery model and running of MBC support groups; (2) the importance of appropriate facilitator training; and (3) the reliance on inconsistent funding (including appropriate renumeration) to support the provision of support groups for MBC. Better understanding of research information and epidemiological data collection were stated to be a fundamental requirement for advocacy and service planning for the emergent MBC population.

Conclusions

Participants identified key system-level factors that must be addressed to ensure equitable and sustainable provision of support groups for people living with MBC.