The hidden economic burden of cancer caring.

Background: Advances in clinical cancer care have increased the number of survivors, which has impacted informal caregiving. This study estimates the annual opportunity cost of informal cancer care and quantifies the gap in the quality adjusted life expectancy (QALE).

Method: Informal cancer carers by sex and two age groups (15-64 years old and 65 years old and over) from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers (SDAC) from 2003 to 2022 were used to estimate the annual opportunity costs of informal cancer care in 2022 and predict future costs.

The application of stepped-wedge cluster-randomized controlled trial study designs in oncology settings: A systematic review.

Stepped-wedge cluster-randomized trials (SW-CRTs) offer advantages for implementation research in healthcare and have been increasingly utilised in the oncology setting. Cancer-related SW-CRTs need to be robust to deliver impactful trial outcomes and support effective translation into practice. This review aimed to examine the application of the SW-CRT design in oncology settings including the trial design features and protocol deviations, the interventions tested, and the implementation aspects of those interventions.

The role of general practice nurses in supporting people to quit smoking: A qualitative study.

Purpose: Encounters with General Practitioners (GPs) have previously been identified as opportune for the delivery of smoking cessation care however the role of nurses in general practice settings is unclear. This study aimed to understand how nurses are providing smoking cessation care in general practice.

Methods: Participants were registered nurses currently working in a general practice setting in Australia, who participated in one-off interviews over Zoom.

People affected by cancer and their carers from gender and sexually diverse communities: their experiences and the role of smartphone applications.

Background: People living with cancer, or carers who are from lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex or asexual (LGBTQIA+) communities experience unique information and support needs. Accessible technology-based resources providing tailored support are required to promote wellbeing, however this is a growing area of research requiring further investigation. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of healthcare services among people living with cancer, and their carers, who belong to sexual or gender diverse communities (LGBTQIA+), and identify how smartphone applications (apps) could support people from LGBTQIA + communities.

Meaningful consumer involvement in cancer care: a systematic review on co-design methods and processes.

Objective: Although the benefits of consumer involvement in research and health care initiatives are known, there is a need to optimize this for all people with cancer. This systematic review aimed to synthesize and evaluate the application of co-design in the oncology literature and develop recommendations to guide the application of optimal co-design processes and reporting in oncology research, practice, and policy.

Methods: A systematic review of co-design studies in adults with cancer was conducted, searching MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, and PsycINFO databases and included studies focused on 2 concepts, co-design and oncology.

The digital divide in rural and regional communities: a survey on the use of digital health technology and implications for supporting technology use.

Objective: A digital divide exists for people from rural and regional areas where they are less likely and confident to engage in digital health technologies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the digital health literacy and engagement of people from rural and regional communities, with a focus on identifying barriers and facilitators to using technology.

Results: Forty adults living in rural/regional areas completed a survey consisting of the eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS) with additional items surveying participants' experience with a range of digital health technologies.

Simulating the healthcare workforce impact and capacity for pancreatic cancer care in Victoria: a model-based analysis.

Background: The incidence of pancreatic cancer is rising. With improvements in knowledge for screening and early detection, earlier detection of pancreatic cancer will continue to be more common. To support workforce planning, our aim is to perform a model-based analysis that simulates the potential impact on the healthcare workforce, assuming an earlier diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.

Overcoming challenges in conducting systematic reviews in implementation science: a methods commentary.

Consolidation of the literature using systematic reviews is a critical way to advance a discipline and support evidence-based decision-making in healthcare. However, unique challenges exist that impact the conduct of systematic reviews in implementation science. In this commentary, we reflect on our combined experience to describe five key challenges unique to systematic reviews of primary implementation research.

Supportive interventions for carers of men with prostate cancer: systematic review and narrative synthesis.

Purpose: The objective of this study was to summarise the literature on current interventions available for carers of men with prostate cancer and analyse the outcomes of these interventions in supporting carers' needs.

Methods: A systematic review was conducted, searching databases MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Scopus and Cochrane, using terms related to prostate cancer, carers and interventions. Randomised controlled trials and non-randomised controlled trials of interventions for informal carers with or without patients were included.

Designing Supportive e-Interventions for Partners of Men With Prostate Cancer Using Female Partners' Experiences: Qualitative Exploration Study.

Background: Partners of men living with prostate cancer (PCa) can experience a variety of unmet needs that are largely unaddressed by health care professionals. There is limited evidence to suggest which approach may be most effective in supporting partners' unmet needs and further research is required to determine how to provide support to caregivers and how technology solutions can be designed.

Objective: This study aims to explore the experience of partners of men living with PCa and their perceptions of the potential role of information technology in supporting their needs.

Effective integration of caregivers and families as part of the care team for people with cancer.

Background: Informal caregivers (family or friends of people with cancer) are a group of highly important people who support those diagnosed with cancer to remain at home and out of hospital, but this comes at a significant personal cost. Understanding strategies to support cancer caregivers is critical.

Objective: This article will present an overview of cancer caregiving and how the caregivers involved can be assisted by general practitioners (GPs).