Access to cancer care across the continuum continues to be a challenge for many priority population groups, particularly those in rural and remote areas, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and people who are less mobile. The digital health ecosystem refers to the network of technology and digitally enabled services, programs, tools and platforms that contributes to the operation and delivery of health care services.

Digital health and virtual models of care have significant potential to improve equitable access to quality cancer care by providing care closer to or in the home, increasing access to specialists and multidisciplinary teams, and reducing inefficiencies of delayed appointments, wait times and travel.[147] The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated uptake of virtual care and prompted the emergence of new innovative models of care to deliver timely health services.

Leveraging recent investments in virtual care infrastructure and advancements in the reliability and cost effectiveness of digital health technologies, virtual care will enable the cancer workforce to increasingly adopt innovative practices and provide equitable, efficient, and quality cancer care into the future.

This 2-year action is focused on identifying existing and emerging opportunities within the digital health ecosystem to improve equitable cancer care. Based on the current digital landscape, such opportunities could consider:

• virtual care and telehealth to connect with consumers and manage treatment and care across the Optimal Care Pathway (OCP)
• remote patient monitoring systems to monitor symptoms, improvements in condition, medication adherence and overall personal health and wellness
• virtual reality care and digital therapy to administer rehabilitative and survivorship services at home or across flexible locations
• My Health Record and e-referrals expansion to increase utilisation for cancer care and promote the seamless transfer of consumer information to specialists and other healthcare providers
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) for diagnosis, screening and monitoring of symptoms and disease progression
• predictive analytics applications to complement OCPs and guide treatment decisions
• digital portals for consumers to manage their healthcare information and improve self-management of care plans and empowerment.

Implementation of this action should support a person-centred approach, be evidence-based, and effectively integrated into best practice models of care. Further, this action should consider ways to ensure the cancer workforce has the capacity and capabilities to deliver digital and hybrid models of care. It may include considerations for upskilling the cancer care workforce in new technologies to ensure safe and effective adoption.

Consideration is also required to ensure that access to technology, internet connectivity issues, digital literacy levels, and hesitancy to adopt technology does not disadvantage certain populations in the delivery of virtual models of care. Further research is needed on how the modalities and models of virtual cancer care impact the experiences and outcomes for priority populations. Implementation should also align to the National Digital Health Strategy and Framework for Action.[148]

It is also important to consider potential risks associated with expanding digital models of care. This may include increased risk that signs or symptoms are ignored, unidentified or misdiagnosed, reduced consumer satisfaction with the level of engagement with their cancer care team and restricted ability for healthcare professionals to undertake clinical examinations.[149]