One of the gleaming faces in Manning Hospital’s oncology department, cancer care coordinator Karen Dahdah is the first port of call for patients and families affected by cancer.
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She is tasked with being the single point of contact for patients and their families with surgeons, physicians, general practitioners (GPs), allied health colleagues and other health providers.
“Early patient contact allows for identification of needs and planned intervention early in the cancer journey,” Karen said.
This communication stretches across the Manning, Port Macquarie-Hastings and the Hunter.
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Karen facilitates continued care between patients, health care professionals and teams.
She makes home visits when necessary, is called on to address transport and accommodation issues and coordinates scanning appointments and pathology.
Karen will be called on to communicate with the emergency department when patients are very unwell.
We have a great oncology team in our rural community and we all do our part caring for our patients by working together
- Karen Dahdah, cancer care coordinator
Karen explained how the unit is able to provide quality care for patients.
“We have a great oncology team in our rural community and we all do our part caring for our patients by working together,” Karen said.
She added that it is important for the community to know what services are available in the area.
“(It is) to try and make it easier for them when they are so unwell,” Karen said.
Karen remains well networked with all cancer care providers within Hunter New England Health (HNEH), across NSW and Australia.
She started as a cancer care coordinator in October 2006 through the NSW Cancer Plan and is currently one of 16 in the HNEH system and one of three in the Manning Great Lakes region.
The importance of telemedicine
Part of Karen’s role involves the facilitation and promotion of telemedicine (the diagnosis, treatment and provision of healthcare done remotely through means of telecommunication technology).
Earlier this year, Karen gave a presentation at a lung cancer forum in Sydney on the relationship between palliative care and telemedicine.
She highlighted that many services utilise telemedicine such as radiation oncologists, GPs, palliative care specialists and liver surgeons.
Karen also spoke about the availability of telemedicine in the area.
Karen noted that Calvary Mater palliative care specialists started telemedicine services in February this year.
The service is in the process of understanding what patients think and feel about the method.
“Anecdotally the verbal responses from patients have been very positive,” Karen said.
“’It was so good not having to travel’ is a common one for people who find travel burdensome, tiring and often painful.”
She noted that many palliative care patients in the Manning Great Lakes are under 65 years of age and in 2017 the area had a high home death rate of 36 per cent.
This rate is still better than the Australian average of 45 per cent.
She said the benefits of telemedicine include reduction of risks from transfers and travel, reduced travel costs, increased involvement from other members of care such as nurses and GPs and keeping patients (particularly the elderly) in their homes.