Enhancing Palliation in Patients with Advanced Cancer in Rural Areas of Australia

A national e-learning program for general practitioners and health care workers in rural and remote areas of Australia, developed by the Medical Oncology Group of Australia (MOGA), has been live online, free of charge, since 1 August 2007.  This Rural Health Support, Education and Training (RHSET) program has been generously funded by the Australian Federal Government through the Department of Health & Ageing with additional support from Hospira Australia Pty Ltd.

This new e-learning program for general practitioners and health care workers in rural and remote areas of Australia was developed by a committee of experts including

Management Committee

Associate Professor Bogda Koczwara (Chair)
Professor Ian Olver
Associate Professor David Goldstein
Dr Craig Underhill
Ms Franca Marine

Advisory Committee and Presenters

Professor Bruce Mann
Associate Professor Paul Glare
Associate Professor Liz Lobb
Dr Ghauri Aggarwal
Dr Henry Hicks
Dr Tanya Holt
Dr Rohan Vora
Dr Sue Robertson
Ms Rosemary Seiboth, CNC

The online materials include voice over PowerPoint presentations for didactic modules relating to palliative cancer treatment modalities, making decisions about palliative cancer treatments, multidisciplinary care. The program also includes four case studies covering lung cancer, breast cancer, colorectal and prostate cancer.  Progress to date has been encouraging as health care workers throughout Australia to participate in one or all modules of this six and a half hour online education program. 

Plans for 2008 include the development of a program workbook to be used for face to face workshops as well as ongoing program evaluation.

Anyone interested in conducting a workshop should contact the MOGA Secretariat for more information.

To register for the program, please visit www.moga.org.au or www.primed.com.au/mogacancerpa