June is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month, established by Bowel Cancer Australia to promote the importance of early detection in combating this condition. Bowel cancer is Australia’s second deadliest cancer, but one of the most treatable if detected early.
The Hastings-Macleay Clinical Network (HMCN) Direct Access Colonoscopy (DAC) Model of Care commenced in July 2023. It is a Cancer Institute NSW model of care to improve community health outcomes by ensuring timely and equitable access to colonoscopy for eligible patients returning positive faecal occult blood tests.
Within this model, patients are directly referred for colonoscopies by their general practitioners to HMCN hospitals. Through the early detection of precursor to bowel cancer, the need for more invasive surgery and other treatments can be mitigated, thereby reducing bowel cancer morbidity and mortality.
Since the inception of the program, there have been 21 eligible patients receiving colonoscopies within the HMCN utilising the DAC pathway. The average time from Recommendation for Admission (RFA) form received to colonoscopy performed is 21.64 days.
The majority of patients have required management for diminutive adenomas and one patient required further surgical intervention due to detection of a large adenocarcinoma.
A video presentation of the HMCN DAC Model of Care is available on Healthy North Coast’s webinar recordings webpage.
For further information, please contact Healthy North Coast’s Primary Health Coordinators Cibin Ilyas [email protected] or Victoria Bradford [email protected].
The Hastings-Macleay Clinical Network’s Direct Access Colonoscopy model of care was a finalist in the 2024 MNCLHD Excellence Awards for the category of Keeping People Healthy.
HealthPathways info:
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