People diagnosed with cancer often face significant anxiety and stress when navigating their treatment, care, and support needs within a complex health system. Person-centred cancer care navigation models that integrate the network of available treatment and supports offered across the health service system are crucial to enhancing the consumer experience.

Currently, care navigation is fragmented, and existing models are limited to a small number of common cancers and locations. This creates significant inequities. Nationally consistent and accessible models of cancer care navigation can guide and empower consumers to access the most appropriate care and support they require across the care continuum, based on consumer need and complexity. This would improve outcomes for all people affected by cancer, regardless of cancer type, location, or prior knowledge of the cancer care system. The navigation models would align to OCPs and provide access to various specialists and services, financial support, psychological services, and other supportive care services.

This 2-year action seeks to address barriers to the current fragmented model by:

• co-designing a national framework to oversee development of person-centred integrated cancer care navigation models
• implementing integrated, person-centred multi-channel and multi-disciplined cancer care navigation models that promote innovation in delivery and consider the mobility and network of different health practitioner roles to provide care
• ongoing monitoring and evaluation of cancer care navigation models to ensure that consumers including their carers and families are receiving the right support at the right time
• multi-channel, multi-disciplined cancer care navigation models would integrate different models of care navigation and workforce, including but not restricted to virtual care, telehealth, artificial intelligence, GPs, oncologists, and experienced nurse navigators already working within cancer care. Informal peer networks and communities could also be empowered to aid in navigation.[107]

Implementation of the programs should consider emerging technology and resources required for integrated navigation models, including workforce demand pressures for patient navigators. Close collaboration between existing services, centres, and patient navigation networks across disciplines is required for successful change and implementation of integrated navigation models.[130] Importantly, the development and piloting of any cancer care navigation model should assess the economic viability in the Australian context.