Background and Context:
Improving cancer outcomes is dependent, in large part, on the effectiveness of cancer control strategies. Monitoring of cancer control activities provides the ability to target policy or modify strategies to achieve best-practice care and improve cancer outcomes. There is currently no national framework to monitor and report control data across the whole continuum of care in Australia.
Aim:
To develop a framework of key national cancer control indicators to monitor and report national trends in cancer control over time.
Strategy/Tactics:
The Australian framework of cancer control indicators was informed by a review of international indicators. The strategy for the development of the framework involved bringing together key indicators which are already collected supplemented with additional indicators to provide a high level overview of cancer control in Australia and allow for international benchmarking in some areas. The framework of indicators selected also allows for monitoring of local cancer control efforts and assessment of policy and practice impacts in key areas.
Programme/Policy Process:
The national cancer control framework incorporates over twenty indicators across the continuum of cancer control. The framework is adaptable so indicators can be added or modified over time as the practice or policy context evolves.
Outcomes/What was learned:
A framework of national cancer control indicators has been developed for Australia. Consultation with stakeholders ensured that indicators have relevance to the Australian context and assess alignment with best-practice recommendations. Where national data does not exist, processes will be developed to collect and report these data. The ability to benchmark indicators internationally will highlight relative strengths and areas for development in national cancer control in Australia.