Poster Presentation 2025 Joint Meeting of the COSA ASM and IPOS Congress

Co-designing a Patient Navigation Program with Chinese- & Vietnamese-speaking People affected by cancer: the PEARL study (#525)

Sandra Sonego 1 , Kylie Vuong 2 , Raymond Chan 3 , Jon Emery 2 , Cannas Kwok 4 , Suzanne Grant 1 , Carla Thamm 3 , Kate McBride 1 , Wei Chua 5 , Rita Lok 1 , Tuan Dong 1 , Minh Tung Dao 1 , Anna Cheung 6 , Lei Cai 6 , Jing Liu 1 , Ash Malalasekera 7 , Carolyn Ee 1
  1. Western Sydney University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
  2. University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
  3. Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
  4. Charles Sturt University, Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia
  5. South Western Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
  6. Tong De Association, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
  7. Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Objectives/Purpose: The PEARL (“PatiEnt nAvigation to improve outcomes in people affected by cancer from cultuRally and Linguistically diverse backgrounds”) study aims to assess the implementation and effectiveness of a patient navigation program for Chinese- and Vietnamese-speaking people affected by cancer, during the transition from active cancer treatment to primary care. We will present insights from Workshop 1 which aims to co-design the program with service users and focuses on their experiences, challenges, and preferences for navigation program components. Guided by the Medical Research Council framework, this co-design study will inform our subsequent hybrid Phase II Type II effectiveness-implementation randomised controlled trial.

Sample and Setting: Up to 80 Chinese- (Mandarin/Cantonese) and Vietnamese-speaking cancer survivors, families, and caregivers across five Australian sites (NSW, QLD, SA).

Procedures: This study employs Double Diamond co-design methodology. Bilingual facilitators will conduct face-to-face workshops in relevant languages in July 2025, exploring lived experiences, post-treatment care challenges (the divergent “Discover” phase of the Double Diamond method), and eliciting navigation program preferences (the convergent “Define” phase). Audio recordings are transcribed, de-identified, and translated by a native speaker with back-translation for quality control. Inductive thematic analysis will be conducted using Quirkos software.

Results: This research will reveal key insights into unique experiences and unmet needs of Chinese- and Vietnamese-speaking individuals post-treatment. We will highlight common challenges and identify essential, culturally appropriate program components directly informing program feasibility, relevance, and future implementation strategies.

Conclusion and Clinical Implications: This co-design process will inform PEARL program optimisation by prioritising components based on lived experiences. This work holds significant clinical implications, promoting equity in cancer care by addressing barriers to accessing optimal care among culturally and linguistically diverse populations.