National Psychosocial Oncology Education Framework
Education Committee, Rebalance Focus Action Group Canadian Strategy for Cancer Control

Introduction

The purpose of this report is to present a National Psychosocial Oncology Education Framework (The Framework). The Framework is the result of turning a vision into an implementation plan through a multi-stakeholder consensus building process. The Framework will serve as a strategic guide. It creates the scaffolding, identifies guiding principles, highlights key enablers, distinguishes three priority themes, and delineates factors necessary for the success of its implementation.

Beginning in 1999, Health Canada, the Canadian Cancer Society and the Canadian Alliance of Provincial Cancer Agencies have been leading the development of the Canadian Strategy for Cancer Control. In November 2006, the Government of Canada announced the establishment of the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer (CPAC) to oversee implementation of the Canadian Strategy for Cancer Control.1

The Canadian Strategy for Cancer Control (CSCC) is a pan-Canadian cancer strategy that takes an inclusive, integrated and comprehensive approach to health care management, covering the full cancer control continuum. The overall goal of the CSCC is to reduce the impact of cancer on human life to the greatest extent possible given resource constraints. This includes working together to reduce the expected number of Canadians being diagnosed with cancer, lessen the severity of illness, enhance the quality of life of those with cancer, reduce the likelihood of dying from the disease, and provide compassionate and high quality end of life care in the case of terminal illness. In response to recommendations coming out of the Psychosocial, Supportive and Palliative Care Group reports, the CSCC selected the Rebalance Focus Action Group as one of seven priority areas. The Rebalance Focus Action Group has the mandate to provide leadership directed towards changing the focus of cancer care from a tumor-centred approach to a person-centred one, so that the needs of those affected by cancer are better served. Education for all health care professionals was identified as an important means of achieving this shift and arriving at system competency for providing compassionate person-centred care.

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Canadian Association of Psychosocial Oncology 2007 Award of Excellence honours Dr. Lesley Degner.

Dr. Lesley Degner, Professor & Chair, Cancer Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, University of Manitoba, is an internationally recognized scholar and researcher in patient involvement in medical decision making, and author of the book Life-Death Decisions in Health Care. Dr. Degner has dedicated her career to advancing oncology nursing, including the supervision of more than 50 graduate students, and the establishment of the Psychosocial Oncology and Cancer Prevention Research Group at the St. Boniface General Hospital Research Centre. In 2004, Dr. Degner initiated a PhD program in cancer control that brings together the Faculties of Nursing and Medicine to provide doctoral training in oncology nursing that is unparalleled in Canada.

Dr. Degner’s honours include research article of the year in the journal Cancer Nursing; Fellow, Canadian Academy of Health Sciences; Distinguished Merit Award, International Society of Nurses in Cancer Care; the fi rst Canadian to receive the Distinguished Researcher Award from the Oncology Nursing Society in the US, and the fi rst female to receive the RH Institute Foundation Medal for research from the University of Manitoba.

Cancer Community Lauds Workable Structure for Cancer Control Strategy

Federal government advances commitment to Cancer Control Strategy

November 24, 2006 (Montreal, QC) – Today, more than 55 leading Canadian cancer organization members of  the Campaign to Control Cancer celebrate Minister Clement’s announcement of the new chair and co-chair of the governing council for the Canadian Strategy for Cancer Control (CSCC).

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Campaign to Control Cancer
November 2006 Stakeholder Summary

While we are all anxiously awaiting the announcement of the new governing council for the CSCC, the Campaign to Control Cancer (C2CC) is working on the development of provincial efforts to ensure the CSCC is sustainable - and that the CSCC moves forward to being publicly recognized, utilized and supported.

 Here's what's up on the planning front.
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Canadian Achievements in Psychosocial Oncology Recognized - Canadian Association of Psychosocial Oncology 2005 Award of Excellence honours Dr. Barry Bultz

TORONTO—Dr. Barry Bultz received the 2005 Award of Excellence from the Canadian Association of Psychosocial Oncology/Association Canadienne d'Oncologie Psychosociale (CAPO/ACOP) ... Download full story here (Word).