In September, 105 Youth Cancer Service (YCS) clinicians from across the country came together for the fourth annual YCS Community of Practice Meeting.
The YCS Community of Practice meeting is a fantastic professional development opportunity that brings together expert clinicians who share a commitment to providing best practice treatment and support for adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with cancer.
This year’s theme, Caring Together: A Collaborative Approach, focused on shared care through the patient's cancer journey. This year's meeting provided an opportunity for case study discussion in sarcomas in AYAs, increase in incidence in bowel cancer and interactive discussions around post-acute treatment and care planning.
In addition to the main meeting, Special Interest Group sessions were held in smaller, more focused groups to encourage practical discussion around relevant AYA cancer topics and to provide valuable opportunities for clinicians to learn from each other’s experiences. These sessions explored the role of primary care in supporting AYA cancer patients and survivors, end-of-life and palliative care, and awareness of cannabis use among AYAs, including associated risks and side effects. The program, designed by YCS clinicians, , aimed to cater for all disciplines and included panel discussions, case studies and presentations that addressed ‘caring together’.
Top-rated presentations included:
- The Role of Primary Care – 100% found it relevant and useful
- Cannabis & Medicinal Cannabis: Awareness, Side Effects & Risks for AYAs – 95% found it relevant and useful
Positive feedback from the attendees includes:
- 99% participants (n = 89) were satisfied with the meeting
- 97% felt the program met their needs
“Loved the level of interaction through the panel sessions. The scope of sessions was great, covering a diverse range of issues in AYA care.” – CoP attendee
“Thanks again for such a great event. It was phenomenal.” - CoP attendee
With a high level of engagement and enthusiasm, the YCS Community of Practice meeting remains an important forum within the youth cancer space for connection and shared learning.
