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In April, CCSN virtually met with MPPs throughout Ontario to discuss our COVID-19 and Cancer Care - Wave 2 Survey. During these meetings, we discussed the difficulty cancer patients and pre-diagnosis patients have had with accessing cancer services during the pandemic and the importance of ensuring the cancer patients receive their 1st and 2nd vaccine doses in a timely manner.
In this webinar, CCSN's Public Policy Analyst Conrad will begin by sharing some of the highlights from our meetings with Ontario MPPs. He will then turn things over to our patient advocates and they will share some of their reflections from our meetings as well as their own experiences with accessing cancer care during the pandemic. Lastly, Conrad will take a closer look at the Ontario data from our survey.
View the YouTube video: https://youtu.be/05u4i89WFfQ
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4. Ontario Virtual Action Week
• April 7th - May 11th
• Meeting with elected officials and other decision
makers within the province’s cancer system
• Amplify our message & Build relationships
• Meetings focus on Cancer Care Survey +
Access to Care + COVID-19 Vaccination
5. Alberta Virtual Action Week
- MPP Gélinas
- MPP Fraser
- MPP Schreiner
- MPP Roberts
- MPP Martin
- MPP Kusendova
- Ministry of Health
- MPP Karpoche
- MPP Kernaghan
- MPP Triantafilopoulos
- MPP Wai
- MPP Lindo
- MPP Harden
6. Ontario Virtual Action Week
• Problem
Cancer patients ability to access healthcare services remains
in doubt, leading to worse outcomes
• Solution
To save lives, cancer patients need timely access to cancer
care, including diagnostics, tests and treatment
• Action
Alert the Health Minister that Cancer Can’t Wait and get
our health system moving again with a cancer recovery plan
7. • Elective surgery backlog will reach 419,200
procedures by the end of Sept 2021
• Diagnostic backlog will reach nearly 2.5
million procedures by the end of Sept 2021
• The FAO estimates that it will take 3.5 years to
clear the surgery backlog and over 3 years to
clear the diagnostic backlog
8. • World’s first trial examining level of immune protection conferred
to cancer patients after vaccine
• People with cancer may not get the same level of protection
after first dose as people without cancer
• The researchers say that a gap of 12 weeks between doses could
leave many cancer patients vulnerable
9. • $1.8 billion in the hospital sector in 2021-22, which includes:
- $760 million to support continued response to COVID-19,
- $300 million to reduce surgical backlogs from delayed or
cancelled surgeries and procedures due to COVID-19, and
- $778 million for patient needs, including caring for a growing
and aging population, supporting hospital beds, providing
clinical services, and specialty psychiatric hospitals, specialty
children hospitals, and small hospitals.
Ontario Budget 2021-22
13. COVID-19 & Cancer Care Survey Objectives
1. Understand the extent of disruptions caused by
COVID-19 restrictions
2. Recognize the mental and emotional toll of
disruptions
3. Identify concerns about receiving adequate
cancer care during and after COVID-19
14. Key Research Topics
1. Have appointments been cancelled or rescheduled?
2. Are patients avoiding interaction with the healthcare system?
3. What is the emotional impact of delays?
4. How are they interacting with healthcare teams?
5. How do they rate the quality of care during COVID-19?
6. What are you most concerned about during during COVID-19?
15. National Léger Survey - COVID19 & Cancer Care
• First Wave Survey (10min Online)
- May 22nd - June 10th, 2020
- 1,243 Patients, Caregivers, & Pre-Diagnosis Patients
• Second Wave Survey (15min Online)
- December 3rd – December 29th, 2020
- 1,638 Patients, Caregivers, & Pre-Diagnosis Patients
16. Across Canada Appts Still Being Cancelled & Postponed
PATIENTS CAREGIVERS PRE-DIAGNOSIS
14%
9%
51%
38%
27%
70%
26%
61%
(50%) (66%) (74%)
(12%) (23%) (30%)
N/A
Have Had Appointments Cancelled,
Postponed Or Rescheduled
Have Had Surgeries / Procedures
Cancelled
Have Had Lab / Diagnostic Tests
Cancelled Or Rescheduled
17. (40%)
(48%)
(40%)
(40%)
(33%)
(16%)
Who’s Causing Appointment Disruptions In Ontario?
8%
9%
24%
31%
Doctor cancelled or postponed an in-person
appointment
Had a routine screening for cancer cancelled or
rescheduled
Personally chose to cancel or postpone an in-person
appointment with the doctor
Avoided booking an appointment with the doctor even
though needed one 24%
25%
34%
34%
(25%)
(16%)
PRE-DIAGNOSIS
PATIENTS
18. Majority of Ontario Patient & Pre-Diagnosis Patients Facing Barriers
62% of Ontarian pre-diagnosis patients had in-person
appointment cancelled/postponed/rescheduled
or avoided booking an appointment with doctor
70% of Ontarian patients had in-person appointment
cancelled/postponed/rescheduled or avoided
booking an appointment with doctor
#1 of 7
#4 of 6
19. PATIENTS PRE-DIAGNOSIS
39 days
36% said no
rescheduled
appointment time yet
25 days
36% said no
rescheduled
appointment time yet
Avg. Time Taken To Reschedule An Appointment In Ontario
27 days
38 days
20. PATIENTS PRE-DIAGNOSIS
51 days
41% said no
rescheduled
appointment time yet
44 days
50% said no
rescheduled
appointment time yet
Avg. Time Taken To Reschedule An Surgery In Ontario
41 days
61 days
21. Delays Continue To Have A Huge Impact On Mental Health
PATIENTS
69%
“Daily stress... actually minute
by minute stress as it just
never goes away.”
PRE-DIAGNOSIS
71%
“Stress for me and my loved
ones. Created tension with my
spouse leading to arguments.”
CAREGIVERS
83%
“Added stress, anxiety and
worry. Empathy for their pain
and suffering. Also makes it
hard to plan your own life.
Always just kind of on
standby.”
22. BMJ: Mortality Due To Cancer Treatment Delay
• Delay in the treatment of cancer can have adverse consequences
on outcome
• The review included 34 studies published between 2000 and 2020
• To quantify the association of cancer treatment delay and
mortality … to inform cancer treatment pathways.
https://www.bmj.com/content/371/bmj.m4087
“all indications showing a hazard ratio for each four week
delay of between 1.06 and 1.08 (6-8% increased chance
of death for each four week delay in treatment).”
24. Ontarian Cancer Community More Concerned Than Ever
CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR ABILITY TO
RECEIVE HOSPITAL CARE IF NEEDED
CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR ABILITY TO
BE CARED FOR IN ER IF NEEDED
CONCERNED ABOUT BEING ABLE TO
RECEIVE TIMELY CANCER TREATMENT
CAREGIVERS
85%
87%
81%
PRE-DIAGNOSIS
68%
71%
74%
PATIENTS
58%
59%
59%
(49%)
(46%)
(51%)
(72%)
(67%)
(60%)
(75%)
(59%)
(61%)
27. Satisfaction With Quality Of Care During COVID-19 in Ontario
61%
14%
8%
17%
Don’t know
Somewhat unsaosfied / not at all saosfied
Somewhat saosfied
Very saosfied
32%
41%
19%
9%
Don’t know
Somewhat unsaosfied / not at all saosfied
Somewhat saosfied
Very saosfied
PATIENTS PRE-DIAGNOSIS
61%
15%
6%
18%
31%
35%
26%
8%
28. Satisfaction With Quality Of Care During COVID-19 in Ontario
PATIENTS
61%
14%
8%
17%
32%
41%
19%
9%
PRE-DIAGNOSIS
REASONS FOR BEING VERY SATISFIED
Good service / support
Good confidence/care in
Doctors/Nurses/Staff
REASONS FOR BEING UNSATISFIED
Delays in getting care
Status of appointment/
surgery/treatment / In limbo
REASONS FOR BEING VERY SATISFIED
Was still able to be treated /
start treatment / have surgery
All appointments were kept
REASONS FOR BEING UNSATISFIED
Dr. not available /
Appointment cancelled
Status of appointment/
surgery/treatment / In limbo
29. • Third survey underway!
• More Virtual Action Weeks to come
• CCSN will continue to work with
Ontario decision makers – and those
across the country
Looking Forward…