Improving rural and remote prostate cancer assessment and diagnosis

Fremantle Hospital’s One Stop Prostate Clinic opened in 2011 to better support rural and remote prostate cancer patients. People living outside the metropolitan area often face barriers accessing metropolitan-based cancer services.

The clinic combines prostate cancer assessment and diagnostic procedures into one visit, reducing the time patients are away from work and home.

FSH Urology Clinical Nurse Specialist Cynthia Hawks researched the outcomes and experience on the first 1,000 men to attend the clinic. Her research identified clinic processes had:

• reduced barriers to its prostate cancer diagnostic service, critical to reducing diagnosis delays and improving cancer outcomes
• improved access to specialist services
• saved rural and remote men 1.5 million km of travel over a six-year period
• contributed to reduced Patient Assisted Travel Scheme subsidies and clinic resources at FSH
• created approximately 600 appointment slots for other patients.

The research also identified the vast majority of men preferred receiving their biopsy results via telephone, raising the possibility other cancer clinical areas may consider this option.

Cynthia presented on the clinic’s economic impact at the Australian and New Zealand Urogenital and Prostate (ANZUP) Cancer Trials group mini Annual Scientific Meeting, where she received the Best Nursing/Allied Health Award.

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