Objectives: A nursing model of care is a framework for the delivery of nursing care in specific contexts. Increased investment in cancer nursing requires the development of a model of care for specialist cancer nursing care for people with cancer and must involve all key stakeholders.
Aim: To apply a co-design methodology to develop the McGrath Model of Care (MMoC) to guide the provision of supportive cancer care nursing.
Methods: A 5-phase co-design process was applied. ‘Planning’ involved engagement of key stakeholders and ethics approval. ‘Discovery’ and ‘Design’ phases included wide consultation with people with lived experience of cancer, clinicians, and cancer organisations through in-person and online focus groups and online surveys. Key themes from these consultations were synthesised with literature review findings and the Optimal Care Pathways to form the draft MMoC. A modified Delphi study and feasibility workshops will be conducted in June 2025 to 'Decide’ the final content of the MMoC. ‘Debrief’ sessions are planned with all contributors to seek feedback on the co-design process.
Results: Focus groups held during the ‘Discovery’ phase were attended by n=80 people with lived experience; n=76 clinicians and n=42 cancer organisation representatives. A total of n=265 people with lived experience and n=107 clinicians completed the survey. Key themes around experience of care were mapped to the domains of supportive care. During the ‘Design’ phase n=154 people with lived experience and n=70 clinicians participated in focus groups to identify key aspects of care to be delivered across the cancer care trajectory. Final results will be available for presentation in November.
Conclusion: By combining expert insights from clinicians, the latest academic evidence and direct input from people with an experience of cancer, this co-design process aimed to create an inclusive, impactful and evidence-based MMoC, which reflects the diverse needs of cancer patients.