CASE STUDY: METHODOLOGY IN BUILDING INFORMATION AND EDUCATION RESOURCES FOR A NATIONAL SCREENING PROGRAM Supporting participation paramount in the upcoming National Lung Cancer Screening Program
With
Dr Rachael Dodd
Senior Research Fellow,
The Daffodil Centre, a Cancer Council NSW & The University of Sydney Joint Venture
AUSTRALIAN HEALTH JOURNAL CASE STUDY
Filmed in Sydney | April 2025
At the recent Screening Conference 2025 in Sydney, hosted by Public Health Association, Dr Rachael Dodd, Senior Research Fellow at The Daffodil Centre, spoke about the information and educational resources created to increase awareness in the healthcare workforce and community on the upcoming Australia’s National Lung Cancer Screening Program commencing in July 2025.
A consortium including The Daffodil Centre, Lung Foundation Australia, Cancer Council Victoria and University of Melbourne were engaged by the Australian Government, through Cancer Australia to deliver a suite of information materials, workforce education resources, and a dissemination strategy for the Program, seen as paramount to support participation.
Dr Dodd talked to Australian Health Journal about the qualitative research process over the past 6 years, from a scoping review of existing lung cancer screening (LCS) information materials and messaging and an environmental scan of existing cancer screening program resources to inform initial development of the key messages, proposed information resources and the dissemination strategy. These were further developed through individual interviews and co-design workshops with the healthcare workforce and community members.
The scoping review identified 34 articles reporting strategies to increase awareness and knowledge of LCS. The environmental scan found 13 provider-focused resources and 18 consumer-focused resources across Australian screening programs. Most LCS-specific resources (18 sets) were from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Singapore.
Key ideas arising from the consultations (28 community; 35 health workforce) and co-design workshops (2 health workforce (n=41), 1 community (n=18)) were the need for: clear information about eligibility criteria, a pack-year smoking calculator, easy-to-read detail about the National Cancer Screening Register, examples of symptoms of lung cancer, clarity on referral pathways, a centralised website to host resources, videos of the screening process, guidance for ineligible participants, and managing conversations including smoking behaviours, and lung cancer stigma. Digital resources were generally preferred to paper resources.
Source: Adapted from Screening Conference 2025 Abstract Book
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Australia’s Nursing Crisis Snapshot
“Nursing, already under pressure, is reaching breaking point due to the pressures of COVID-19 and a disjointed healthcare system, including the acute, primary and aged care sectors”, says Kylie Ward, Australian College of Nursing CEO adding, “We must act now to protect our nurses and healthcare; the time has come for a national reckoning on nursing in Australia.”
Australian nurses cannot continue to work under the extreme pressure they are currently operating under – the impacts are mounting.
The almost 400,000 Australian nurses are a constant presence in every one of our major life milestones, national emergencies and global crises. The nurse of today holds a science degree, possesses highly technical training, valuable medical opinions, front-row expertise, is an effective trainer, and is skilled in population and systemic thinking. But the pandemic is inflicting a major emotional and physical toll on nurses.
In this “Perspectives” special, Australian Health Journal spoke with 4 nurses on the challenges they or nurses in their circle have experienced, the key issues as well some of the opportunities. These nurses come from national leadership & policy, large scale workforce management, a final year student completing over a year on placement across 6 Melbourne Hospitals and a NSW based ICU nurse stranded in Mexico, unable to return to a critical role in nursing to an already strained team due to incoming quotas.
While the issues are challenging, there are strategies that can be put into place to ease the pressure, to support nurses, and nursing care in Australia. These are discussed by the the 4 nurses.
– Adjunct Professor Kylie Ward FACN CEO, Australian College of Nursing
– Adjunct Professor Alanna Geary FACN ACN Chair of Workforce Sustainability Policy Chapter & Chief Nursing & Midwifery Officer, Metro North Health
– Natalie Reyes, NSW based ICU Nurse Currently stranded in Mexico
– Hayley Pollock, Final Year Bachelor of Nursing Student & ACN Emerging Nurse Leader
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Access and productivity outcomes with radiology technology in Western Sydney
In Western Sydney, there is currently significant growth accompanied by a notable need for cardiovascular support due to the prevalence of related diseases. It is estimated that the population in this area will reach 6 million by 2041.
With this population growth, there is also a pressing shortage of healthcare professionals in Australia, particularly in the field of radiology, where there are not enough radiographers, sonographers, MRI technicians, and nuclear medicine technicians.
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Shaping Health, Advancing Nursing through training, upskilling & scholarships
The Chief Executive Officer of Australian College of Nursing, Adjunct Professor Kylie Ward FACN spoke in depth with Australian Health Journal about:
The key recommendations in ACN’s pre-budget submission to Federal Government
The impact of legislation requiring a Registered Nurse (RN) at every residential aged care facility from 1st July 2023
Why scholarships in nursing leadership are important
Why ACN has recommended the Government fund 200 Pacific nurses in 15 nations for the online ACN postgraduate certification
The need for a multi-pronged approach that includes skilled migration in rebuilding the nursing workforceIn the lead up to the Australian Federal Budget in May 2023, Australian Health Journal reached out to peak health industry bodies to hear about their priorities, either noted in pre-budget submissions lodged with Federal Government in January 2023 or in recent forums such as the Strengthening Medicare Taskforce.
