Guidance for GPs

Digital tool for Investigating symptoms of lung cancer: a guide for all health professionals

Cancer Australia has released an interactive diagnostic tool for investigating symptoms of lung cancer in primary care. Based on Investigating symptoms of lung cancer: a guide for all health professionals, the digital tool features a contemporary, user-friendly, mobile-optimised interface, taking users step-by-step through the risk factors, symptoms and signs of lung cancer, diagnostic imaging, and provides a recommendation for next steps of action based on the recommendations in the guide. The digital tool is intended to be used at the point of care, and for educational purposes.

To access the digital tool, visit: www.canceraustralia.gov.au/interactive-islc-guide.

Access A systematic approach to investigating symptoms of lung cancer e-modules

Commissioned by Cancer Australia, Lung Foundation Australia, in collaboration with Cancer Australia, has developed  free, accredited clinical learning e-modules, based on Cancer Australia’s, Investigating symptoms of lung cancer: a guide for all health professionals.

The e-modules use clinical scenario-based learning to increase confidence among health professionals to recognise symptoms and signs of lung cancer, and support the early and rapid referral of symptomatic patients into the multidisciplinary diagnostic pathway. The modules highlight the importance of providing safe and culturally appropriate care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and the scenarios span multiple geographical settings, demonstrating the unique challenges of caring for people with lung cancer in rural and remote areas.  

The modules have received accreditation from the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) and the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM), with health professionals able to gain accreditation of 40 RACGP CPD points and 4 ACRRM PDF hours (2 Educational Activity/2 Performance Review points). 

For more information and to sign up for the modules, visit:
https://lungfoundation.com.au/health-professionals/conditions/lung-cancer/diagnosis

Access the free ThinkGP on-demand webinar

All primary care health professionals are invited to access the ThinkGP on-demand webinar on Investigating symptoms of lung cancer: a guide for all health professionals.

The Symptoms and signs that might be lung cancer: A new guide to optimal investigation and referral in general practice on-demand webinar is FREE to watch on the ThinkGP website, with health professionals able to gain accreditation of 2 RACGP CPD points or 1 ACRRM CPD hours.

Dr Vivienne Milch, Medical Director, Cancer Australia, and a panel including a consumer living with stage 4 lung cancer, an expert GP, and a respiratory physician, will take you step-by-step through this important guide, in a case-based setting.

The on-demand webinar will be available on the ThinkGP platform until 31 March 2022.

For more information on the webinar, please see here.

Investigating symptoms of lung cancer: a guide for all health professionals

Cancer Australia has released a resource that will assist general practitioners to investigate symptomatic people with suspected lung cancer and support their early and rapid referral into the multidisciplinary diagnostic pathway.

Diagnosing lung cancer at an earlier stage leads to better outcomes for patients, however, diagnosis can be challenging. Symptoms are often non-specific and imaging results are not always definitive.

Investigating symptoms of lung cancer: a guide for all health professionals  provides GPs with a systematic approach to the appropriate investigation and referral of people with symptoms or signs of lung cancer. This approach includes optimal timeframes for action at each step of the pathway.

The accompanying Evidence Report supports the recommendations in the guide and includes additional recommendations to facilitate referral and patient support.

Investigating symptoms of lung cancer: a guide for all health professionals has been officially recognised as an Accepted Clinical Resource by The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP).

The guide has also been endorsed by the following colleges and organisations.

• Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM)
• Australian Primary Care Nurses Association (APNA)
• Cancer Nurses Society of Australia (CNSA)
• Consumers Health Forum of Australia (CHF)
• CRANAPlus
• Lung Foundation Australia (LFA)
• National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Worker Association (NATSIHWA)
• Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists (RANZCR)
• Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP)
• Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS)
• Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand (TSANZ)

Further GP support and guidance

Providing tools and resources to support health professionals provide evidence-based care is seen as essential to improve outcomes for people affected by lung cancer. Cancer Australia plays an important role in supporting and guiding health professionals to improve outcomes for people affected by lung cancer.

There are a number of resources to provide health professionals with evidence-based information and resources to assist with the delivery of evidence-based clinical and supportive care for people affected by lung cancer.

Resources include:

• The impact of stigma on people diagnosed with lung cancer - audio-visual resource
• I-PACED (Implementing Pathways for Cancer Early Diagnosis) resources: Lung cancer
• Optimal Care Pathway for People with Lung Cancer
• Lung Cancer Framework
• Lung Cancer Framework - At a glance
• Delivering best practice lung cancer care - a guide for health professionals
• National Cancer Control Indicators - an interactive website of national data across the continuum of cancer control.