Network Priorities

1. In the Gift Agreement signed by the five RCN partners in 2013, improving the patient experience was an identified goal; a goal that to this day continues to form an important Network priority. The goal is to provide outstanding patient support with measured improvement in patient engagement and experiences. Our project investments in distress screening and the GU Cancer disease site integration have established performance indicators to measure the patient experience.

2. An important strategic priority for the RCN is to establish and maintain a robust quality improvement infrastructure whose output will continuously improve evidence-based care to positively impact clinical outcomes.

3. Increasing scholarly output is a fundamental priority of the RCN through research and education grants made possible through programs such as the RCN Cancer Quality & Innovation program (CQI) and other funding streams.

4. Allowing earlier access to breakthrough treatments through clinical trials for RCN patients is a key network priority. Where possible and appropriate, RCN projects have built-in key performance indicators to measure accrual to clinical trials to support this.

5. Investing in technology platforms to support performance improvement across the member organizations within the Network is a key enabler that links all strategic and network priorities. Seamless transmission and communication of patient data across sites is fund mental to enable the best patient experience and the best clinical outcomes, in the timeliest and safest manner.

The RCN pursues its mission and addresses its strategic and network priorities by focusing its activities on five strategic pillars that were approved by its Governance Committee:

1. Access to specialized care that allows patients to have timely access to the network, no matter where their initial entry point is.

2. Harmonized Tumour Boards that ensure that regardless of what tumor board might be managing a patient’s treatment, the care that is prescribed and the standard of care patients would receive would be at the same high level, based on the evidence and tailored to the patient.

3. Common clinical trials across all the RCN facilities will be available to all eligible patients by providing Access to Clinical Trials.

4. The primary care team provides case management, assures continuity of care for the whole patient and coordinates with colleagues across the patients’ Trajectories of Care using RCN data and facilitation of data transmission.

5. The best cancer treatment and care beginning with prevention through to recovery and/or palliative care as well as perioperative care will be delivered when possible, by offering patients Proximity of Treatment & Care.