Establish a ‘management room’, concretely implement the Diagnostic-Therapeutic Assistance Paths (PDTA) inside the oncology networks, improve the well being service workers and activate the National Rare Cancer Network. These are the 4 priorities to work on as they emerge from the sixteenth Report on the welfare situation of most cancers sufferers, offered in the present day in Rome, as a part of the nineteenth National Cancer Patient Day, promoted by Favo (Italian Federation of Voluntary Associations in Oncology ) and by the tons of of federated associations.
The Oncology Plan by no means applied
Now a yr after its approval, the National Oncology Plan (Pon) 2023-2027 is just not operational. The 125 pages of the doc, which ought to characterize the institutional reference information for the tumor management technique in Italy, are completely disregarded. A waste of alternative on condition that in Italy 5-year most cancers survival reaches 60% and nearly 4 million residents dwell after prognosis. “These extremely constructive knowledge are the results of the prime quality of our Healthcare Service – he highlights Elisabetta Iannellisecretary Favo – there are more and more rising difficulties, which concern the soundness of the system in all areas of the tumor management technique: from screening, with variations in protection that exceed 40% between the Northern and Southern Regions, to issue in accessing molecular biology exams, therapeutic pathways, bodily and psycho-social rehabilitation applications and analysis”.
A ‘management room’
Hence the request to determine as quickly as potential the nationwide ‘management room’ (offered for by artwork. 1, paragraph 2, of the State-Regions Agreement of 26 January 2023 regarding the PON) which displays the Plan, evaluates its outcomes and identifies the mandatory incentives for the Regions, additionally by way of a structured interplay of the completely different institutional ranges each at nationwide stage (Ministry of Health, AGENAS, AIFA and ISS) and regional stage, with the lively involvement of the skilled world, scientific societies and associations of sufferers. “The decisions made up to now on a monetary stage – continues Iannelli – are definitely not appropriate for responding to the therapy wants of most cancers sufferers. With the Decree of the Ministry of Health of 8 November 2023, the fund for the implementation of the National Oncology Plan for the interval 2023-2027 was distributed. Just over 1,700,000 euros are allotted to Lombardy for every year, round 83,000 to Basilicata. These are irrelevant figures, to say the least, fully inadequate to attain the goals set by the PON”.
The position of oncology networks
The significance of the position of regional oncology networks has been mentioned for years now, but solely in just a few areas are oncology networks absolutely performing. “The National Oncology Plan – he explains Francesco Perrone, president of Aiom (Italian Association of Medical Oncology) – goals for the complete implementation of oncology networks in all areas, to encourage more and more built-in care between the hospital and the territory, implement digitalisation and improve the position of medical docs basic. This is an important organizational mannequin which, mixed with a multidisciplinary strategy, ensures the most effective care of sufferers. All this requires an essential and clear coordination exercise, due to the collaboration between establishments, scientific societies and affected person associations”.
Requests from affected person associations
Requests absolutely shared additionally by Luigi Genesio Icardi, deputy coordinator of the Health Commission of the State-Regions Conference: “Thanks to Favo final July the State-Regions Agreement on the position of voluntary associations, sufferers and civic activism in oncology networks was accepted. For the primary time, the central position of affected person and volunteer associations inside the Regional Oncology Networks is formally acknowledged in any respect ranges. The Health Commission has thought-about and considers the oncology networks as the one concrete and operational software for the general care of most cancers sufferers, additionally for the needs of the relevance that these have for the sustainability of the system”.
From principle to information
In Italy, in 2023, there are an estimated 395,000 new most cancers diagnoses: in three years, the rise was 18,400 circumstances. “The higher incidence and the potential of the illness turning into persistent produce a steady progress, even extended over time, in care burdens – underlines Carmine Pintoprevious president Ficog (Federation of Italian Cooperative Oncology Groups). “I Diagnostic-Therapeutic Care Paths are elementary for the functioning of the Regional Oncology Networks and permit us to enhance the standard of care, however within the National Oncology Plan there isn’t a indication of the sources essential to cowl needed figures comparable to medical examine coordinators, psycho-oncologists, nutritionists or physiatrists. Likewise, the paths for continuity and integration of care between hospital and territory aren’t recognized and outlined. The PDTA must be redesigned for territorial administration with expanded multidisciplinary groups and with the involvement of basic practitioners. This will enable us to reaffirm the idea of ‘single course’ for your entire oncology course of and to ensure affected person monitoring additionally with proximity checks”.
Oncology care, sturdy disparities between Regions by Letizia Gabaglio 13 December 2023
The scarcity of healthcare personnel
The third precedence is represented by the valorisation of healthcare personnel. From 2000 to 2022, round 140,000 Italian docs have been positioned overseas and the bulk are engaged in medical or fundamental analysis, which it had not been potential for them to hold out in our nation. “Without professionals, the cornerstones of the universalistic system fall away: fairness and uniformity of entry to prevention, therapy and rehabilitation – he states Paola Varese, president of the Favo Scientific Committee. “We should begin from the present shortcomings and important points which, if not crammed, danger inflicting a scarcity of docs and nurses within the subsequent ten years. Furthermore, innovation is altering work {and professional} wants in healthcare. Medicine will more and more make use of applied sciences that come from completely different worlds, from precision medication, robotics, digitalisation, synthetic intelligence to digital actuality”.
Ovarian most cancers: a ‘workforce’ of 16 consultants is underway for early prognosis and entry to probably the most superior therapies by Irma D’Aria 27 March 2024
The National Rare Cancer Network
The fourth precedence indicated within the Favo report is the widespread activation and operation of the National Rare Cancer Network. The Pon experiences: “In 2023, the facilities of the Network have been lastly recognized, with the collaboration of all of the Regions”, it says Paolo G. Casali, which coordinates the skilled community of uncommon strong tumors in adults. “Now it’s needed for the National Rare Cancer Network to have the ability to begin its operations within the varied Regions, because the Lombardy Region determined to do just a few days in the past, offering for a progressive implementation of the organizational mannequin envisaged by the State-Regions Agreement, additionally with the participation lively in affected person associations within the varied teams of uncommon strong tumors in adults. However, at a nationwide stage, exact indications should be outlined on the sources to be allotted, particularly to the facilities meant to supply teleconsultations, in addition to on the creation of IT helps and a community service centre. Only on this method will the European ERN community , i.e. the European Reference Networks for uncommon illnesses, which was accepted by the European Commission in 2017 and which entails a robust participation of a number of Italian oncology facilities of excellence, will likely be successfully accessible to all folks affected by uncommon cancers all through the National territory”.