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15-05-2023

„Green corridors” for oncological patients

Iliustracija

In order to improve availability and quality of services for the diagnosis and treatment of oncological diseases, the Ministry of Health has updated the procedure for managing the flow of patients with these diseases and organizing services. The newly introduced case management function will help patients to receive specialized services faster and to overcome mental, physical, social or spiritual difficulties.

Minister of Health Arūnas Dulkys states that the incidence of oncological diseases remains an acute problem, such patients need a longer treatment process, it is accompanied by physical and psychological difficulties. In response, innovations are introduced in treatment procedures to help patients in various ways.

“Timing and consistent treatment are important in the effective fight against oncological diseases. A so-called “green corridor” is intended for this, it will ensure a smooth journey for an oncological patient through the treatment process. A position of a case manager has also been created – it is like a personal consultant who will accompany the patient in every step, help the patient to get the necessary tests and consultations in time, and provide psychological support,” said the Minister of Health Arūnas Dulkys.

There are six institutions providing specialised oncological care in Lithuania: Santaros Clinics of Vilnius University Hospital, National Cancer Institute, Kaunas Clinics of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Klaipėda University Hospital, Šiauliai Republican Hospital and Panevėžys Republican Hospital. These institutions will make an oncology cluster. A patient who is diagnosed with cancer for the first time will have to be referred by his/her family doctor to one of the institutions of the oncology cluster.

A “green corridor” will be opened in the institution of the oncology cluster, which means that a case manager assigned to a patient will reserve the time for the first specialist’s consultation, register for prescribed tests and other specialist’s consultations, organise and monitor the implementation of a patient’s plan for diagnostic tests and specialist’s consultations, and help to ensure that patient’s treatment by the multidisciplinary team starts on time. The “green corridor” approach will aim to provide services to a patient in the shortest possible time. The services provided to a patient will be evaluated according to agreed accessibility and quality indicators.

The case manager will also need to assess whether the patient had a distress syndrome - unpleasant mental, physical, social or spiritual feelings that the patient is experiencing. The case manager will advise on the need for psychosocial support and where these services are available. Distress assessment will be carried out using a methodology developed by the network of Cancer Centres of the United States.

Efficient management of the flow of patients will be ensured with requirements for contact centres of the institutions belonging to the oncology cluster. They will need to enable patients to contact through eHealth, face-to-face or by telephone, as well as through other means of communication, such as email, web enquiries, chats, social networks and other.

The call centre is required to have a call tree, with its parts arranged in a logical sequence according to the area of information to be provided, and, in the event of a missed call, to call the patient back not later than the next working day.

Ministry of Health information

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Last updated: 29-05-2023

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