INTENT Local Stakeholder Panel in Ljubljana, Slovenia

Institute of Oncology Ljubljana together with National Institute of Public Health held an INTENT Local Stakeholder Panel, which is one among five Local Stakeholder Panels, that have been carried out in five pilot sites (Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia region in Italy, Brno in Czech Republic, Budapest in Hungary and Slovenia) in order to provide stakeholders' consensus on actions needed to enable an effective use of the new patient-centred cancer care model and guidelines.

Project activities for developing the new patient-centred cancer care model are well under way. Speakers reported the progress in various work packages and gathered feedback on the results from the stakeholders within the workshop.

After introductory greetings by the general director and medical director of Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, assist prof. dr. Tanja Marinko, INTENT project leader at the Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, presented the project to stakeholders and underlined the importance of patient centred cancer care.

As noted by assist. prof. dr. Tit Albreht, INTENT project leader at the National Institute for Public Health in Slovenia, the need to enhance stakeholders’ involvement was a key lesson learned in the first national cancer control program in the case of Slovenia. This also led to a more inclusive approach in the current national cancer control program, particularly enhancing the role of patient organizations. In his lecture, assist. prof. dr. Tit Albreht mapped out health policies across five participating regions.

Preliminary results of a cross national survey on stakeholder expectations from a patient centred cancer care model were disclosed to stakeholders by Helena Požar in Helena Handukić, project coordinators within Institute of Oncology Ljubljana.

Panel participants were mostly patient representatives. Within the workshop they discussed weaknesses and strengths of the existing cancer care model and suggested possibilities for improvement, emanating from their own experiences.  

Tina Lipušček, INTENT communications manager, presented INTENT communication activities including local stakeholders. She stressed the importance of advocacy as a tool for local stakeholders, such as doctors, managers, patient representatives and policy makers and the need for a coordinated approach to cancer care.  

Finally, participants in the panel concluded that cancer care model which will truly put patients in the centre is only possible through closer cooperation and coordinated approach to cancer care.