Introduction: Post-treatment surveillance and survivorship care for head and neck cancer (HNC) patients in Australia is evolving in response to growing awareness of survivors’ complex and long-term needs. Current models vary across institutions, with inconsistent surveillance protocols and limited integration of psychosocial support. To optimise service capacity—particularly in under-resourced regional and remote communities—it is essential to understand current practices and attitudes toward redesigning care models from both clinicians and survivors.
Methods: A recent cross-sectional online survey recruited HNC specialists across Australia to explore current surveillance practices and perspectives towards re-designing the survivorship care model. Qualitative studies and journey mapping have further explored the experiences of post-treatment care from the perspective of cancer survivors and carers.
Results: Planned surveillance imaging is generally conducted at 6 or 12-monthly intervals based on HNC subtype. A majority of specialists (57%) are open to modifying surveillance, particularly for low-risk patients who did not require nasoendoscopic examination. Qualitative data has indicated that they key attributes of quality survivorship care include: trust in experts; feeling supported by a multi-disciplinary team; and improved coordination of care to address barriers and unmet needs. Cancer survivors in regional, rural, and remote areas face unique concerns including limited access to specialist services and fragmented care pathways.
Conclusions: These findings align with international guidelines and recent systematic reviews, which advocate for risk-stratified, person-centred models of care that integrate medical follow-up with psychosocial support. There is growing consensus that post-treatment survivorship care should be tailored to individual needs and delivered through scalable, equitable frameworks that leverage technology and telehealth. Future directions must prioritise coordinated, multidisciplinary approaches that address systemic barriers and ensure continuity of care—particularly for underserved populations. These efforts are critical to improving quality of life and long-term outcomes for HNC survivors across Australia.