Providing information early in the clinical pathway for people with prostate cancer
The National Cancer Survivorship Initiative recommends offering health and well-being clinics to people who have been newly diagnosed with cancer. Evidence suggests delivery of group information is an effective use of resources and peer support and can affect people’s experiences positively to improve their outcomes. This article reports findings from a pilot study in which health and well-being clinics were implemented at the pre-treatment stage of the pathway for people with surgically treatable prostate cancer. The article explains how health and well-being clinics used at the start of patient pathways can help support their early needs, including managing the consequences of their treatment and signposting them to community support services. This model could be replicated in other cancer sites to improve patient outcomes.