Evaluation demonstrates our success in improving cancer care
13 Jan 2020
An external evaluation of the RM Partners Transformation Fund intervention projects has demonstrated our success in delivering improvements in earlier detection and faster diagnosis of cancer.
The evaluation by Ipsos MORI and York Health Economics Consortium involved a process and impact evaluation of our transformation funded intervention projects over 2017-18 and 2018-19. The evaluation objectives were to:
- assess the impact of each intervention on patient outcomes and experience
- generate an evidence base to support the economic case for the interventions
- provide an assessment for wider roll-out
- assess how we are working as a partnership
- understand the value of RM Partners as a system leader.
As part of this evaluation, each project was assessed to establish what critical success factors need to be in place to secure similar results elsewhere in the country.
Findings showed that our success in bringing together senior leaders with a clear vision, supported by skilled project teams with a focus on delivering change, has been instrumental in fostering greater collaboration within and across provider organisations. These cohesive and supportive relationships are directly linked to improvements in the earlier detection and faster diagnosis of cancer for our population.
The evaluation found that our primary care projects to improve uptake of cancer screening and to provide education and training to support GPs in better identification of patients with possible cancer symptoms, are already bringing significant cost savings, as cancers are diagnosed at an earlier, potentially curable stage.
It also demonstrated that our redesigned pathways are self-funding as increasing resource earlier in the pathway generates savings down the line. It showed that we have greatly improved patient experience through the innovative use of different staffing models at the important points in the pathway, including telephone triage and patient navigators. Patients who have been through our redesigned pathways have provided extremely positive feedback.
The evaluation results have been shared with national colleagues and stakeholders, as well as with other Cancer Alliances, to encourage wider take up of our interventions and to support relationship building.
The evaluation is available here.