Volume 224 - Issue 10

From Ambition to Action: Closing Policy, Equity and Implementation Gaps in the Australian Cancer Plan's ‘Enhanced Consumer Experience’

Authors:  Carla Thamm, Elise Button, Oluwaseyifunmi A. Agbejule, Reegan Knowles, Karen van Gorp, Mark B. Pinkham, Meinir Krishnasamy, Alexandra L. McCarthy, Raymond J. Chan

Correspondence: carla.thamm@flinders.edu.au

Med J Aust 2026 || doi: 10.5694/mja2.70317
Published online: 14 October 2026

Abstract

Despite advances in cancer treatment, many Australians experience fragmented, poorly coordinated care, particularly those who are most disadvantaged. Strategic Objective 2 of the Australian Cancer Plan commits to improving consumer experience through person-centred, culturally safe, coordinated care across the continuum, yet implementation remains inconsistent. This perspective article examines key challenges, including siloed services, inequitable access to navigation and supportive care and poorly actioned experience measures. We propose scalable solutions: patient decision support tools, equity-oriented navigation and real-time experience measures. Realising this vision requires sustained investment strategies and system integration.


More like this

Cancer Research 18 August 2026 Open Access

Uneven Ground: Survival Differences Among Victorian Lung Cancer Patients by Location of Residence (2011–2023): A Retrospective Cohort Study

Evangeline Samuel, Eldho Paul, Mike Lloyd, Sanuki Tissera, Craig Underhill, Sagun Parakh, Phillip Parente, Inger Olesen, Javier Torres, Katharine See, Gavin M. Wright, David Langton, Thomas John, Matthew Conron, James Bartlett, Nicola Atkin, Nikolajs Zeps, Susan V. Harden, Wasek Faisal, John R. Zalcberg, Rob G. Stirling