– This is another step in the programme being implemented by the Lower Silesian Oncology Centre to introduce e-services. They will enable patients to contact doctors efficiently, which, especially in the current situation, will help ensure the effective diagnosis of oncological conditions – explains Marshal Cezary Przybylski of Bezpartyjni Samorządowcy.
E-services are part of a joint strategy for cooperation between oncologists and primary care physicians in Lower Silesia. Its main aim is to detect cancer at an early stage. During the coronavirus pandemic, the detection rate for cancer fell. It is estimated that the number of so-called DiLO green cards issued — the Oncology Diagnosis and Treatment Card — decreased by around 30 percent. Patients are increasingly reporting to oncologists when the disease is at an advanced stage. The later cancer is diagnosed, the more difficult it is to achieve good treatment outcomes and the worse the prognosis. To counter this, family doctors and oncologists decided to strengthen their cooperation to improve access to and the quality of services provided to patients suspected of having or diagnosed with cancer, as part of the oncology network in Lower Silesia.
– The coronavirus epidemic made the need for cooperation and joint action by oncologists and family doctors for the benefit of oncology patients even more apparent – says Dr hab. Adam Maciejczyk, director of the DCO and simultaneously president of the Polish Society of Clinical Oncology.
An agreement on close cooperation is to be concluded by the Lower Silesian Oncology Centre, the Lower Silesian Association of Family Doctors-Employers and the National Consultant in the field of family medicine. The main aim of the agreement is to create a joint information strategy concerning:
- cancer prevention
- early detection, diagnosis and treatment
- monitoring patients with cancer.
DCO e-services, namely free and easy-to-use mobile applications for patients, are the first element of the information strategy. The applications are intended to shorten the patient pathway between a family doctor and an oncology specialist. New technologies are also intended to serve doctors themselves, including by improving communication between them.
– We want cancer to be detected as early as possible, because this significantly increases the patient’s chances of recovery. Following international models, we are introducing modern solutions that place us among the leaders in medical e-services – says Deputy Marshal Marcin Krzyżanowski.
The free “Mobilne DCO” mobile application is already available in the App Store. It will also be available on other platforms shortly.
The application provides access to e-screening, where users enter basic details — age and sex — and complete a short questionnaire. Based on their answers, the system then “profiles” them and indicates which preventive examinations they should undergo, such as mammography, cytology, colonoscopy or a faecal occult blood screening test. The application will also suggest which centres in the region perform these examinations. The list of available examinations and facilities providing them will be updated regularly. Another function of the “Mobilne DCO” application is to be e-follow-up, which will help monitor follow-up examinations after completion of oncological treatment.
– In the future, we intend to develop the application’s functionality so that patients can receive comprehensive support as part of diagnosis and any subsequent treatment – adds Paweł Zawadzki, the DCO director’s representative for development.
For several years, the Lower Silesian Oncology Centre has operated Onkoscope, a tool enabling the rapid start of diagnosis and treatment, and for a year it has also operated an oncology helpline — 71/ 36 89 483. In the Onkoscope system, a patient who has been issued a DiLO card can enter its number in a special online form or send an SMS, and is automatically scheduled for their first oncology appointment. Now a family doctor can issue a DiLO card remotely and enter its number into the Onkoscope application.
– We want to improve communication between us. We want to shorten the patient pathway between the family doctor and the oncologist, and this is where we can use new technologies and applications. For example, we want to popularise the Onkoscope system, an application in which the DiLO card number is entered and the patient is automatically scheduled for their first oncology appointment. A family doctor can issue the green card remotely and enter its number into the application, so the patient will not have to look for the registration desk, travel or wait. Modern tools will do this for them – explains Dr hab. Adam Maciejczyk.
The cooperation between oncologists and primary care physicians also assumes that, in the future, thanks to e-services, family doctors will be able to participate in e-consultations concerning their patients. The development and preparation of mobile applications as part of DCO e-services was co-financed with EU funds. The cost is PLN 345,000.
– Mobile applications are part of a larger project. The Centre will gradually implement its subsequent stages and tools adapted to the changing needs of patients, as well as oncologists and family doctors – adds Marshal Cezary Przybylski.
The agreement between primary care physicians and oncology specialists has been placed under the patronage of the Polish Society of Clinical Oncology, the Polish Society of Family Medicine and the Federation of Healthcare Employers’ Associations “Porozumienie Zielonogórskie”.
The solutions and tools developed under the agreement will initially be tested in Lower Silesia as part of the national oncology network, coordinated in our region by the DCO.
– We must remember how important preventive examinations are for our health, as they effectively help us avoid unpleasant consequences in the future. The pandemic is affecting every area of our lives, including the treatment of other diseases. The number of people participating in preventive programmes is declining. That is why we are also focusing on creating solutions that will encourage and facilitate the use of preventive programmes during this difficult period – says Deputy Marshal Marcin Krzyżanowski.