Value of partnerships in integrated cancer screening programs

Partnerships and linkages were key to the Under-Screened Recruitment Program.

While each project partnered with relevant local services and organisations, the overall program partnered with the Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria, the relevant national or state-based cancer screening program recruitment partners (BreastScreen Victoria, National Bowel Cancer Screening Program, Cancer Council Victoria), as well as the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation and the Victorian Cervical Cytology Register.

You can even partner with media organisations, like ethnic media outlets, local radio stations and newspapers, or Aboriginal media.

Partnership activities to implement the program included:

• decision-making
• communications and branding
• data sharing and intellectual property
• professional development, support and training.

Results from partnerships in the Under-Screened Recruitment Program included:

• national programs worked together to consider cancer screening collectively to reach their commonly under-screened groups
• improved referral pathways because of partnerships and linkages established at the local level (for example between Aboriginal health services and local clinical services)
• local area partnerships facilitated access to cancer screening services that were culturally safe
• positive and trusting relationships between local partners facilitated the successful implementation of Under-Screened Recruitment Program projects
• relationships that were built and maintained had the potential to expand or provide sustainability after the project was implemented, and
• awareness-raising around the integrated cancer screening messages for all partners.