Patient Centred Cancer Care Model and Implementation guidelines in Central Europe

Cancer is a leading cause of death in the EU; however, how we experience cancer is changing from an acute condition to one where survival rates are improving. People with cancer are living longer and, in some cases, it can be managed as a chronic illness. That said, survival usually decreases with age, although to different degrees depending on cancer type and region. The need for change in CE is challenging because public services in the newer EU Member States are still experiencing the impact of the 2007-2009 crises including static health care budgets, growing demand for care from ageing populations & a shortage of available staff. This also translates into disparities in access to & quality of care.

The shift in ‘what cancer is’ requires a more patient-centred approach to care. This approach should deliver more equitable access to care, harmonised and coherent care pathways, policy incentives for performance improvement and openness to more relevant and affordable innovations. This mirrors evidence that the acute hospital model is costly and economically unsustainable in its present form and that current and emerging innovations will accelerate the capacity to transfer more services to local communities. In similar terms, the drive for economies of scale and scope in high-technology investment will result in a much greater concentration of specialist services such as oncology care in regional tertiary centres.

Full report addressing the description of the existing cancer care models from a patient cancer care centeredness (PCCC) perspective is available HERE.