Navigating cancer and treatments is a steep learning curve. It can be even more challenging due to age, cultural background, language or other factors.
Peter Mac is working to align gender impact assessments with the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards.
These standards require Peter Mac to identify the diversity of consumers using services and identify groups of patients who are at higher risk of harm. They also require health services to partner with consumers in the design and evaluation of care.
As well as the patient’s health condition, the team considers:
- age
- gender
- socioeconomic factors
- geographic location
- cultural background
- religion
- sexuality.
This information helps Peter Mac plan delivery of care and support services.
A focus on how people of different genders engage in wellbeing initiatives
The Peter Mac Men's Shed (opens in a new window)is the first men’s shed in a Victorian hospital precinct. It was also the first of its services to undergo a gender impact assessment.
The Men’s Shed, despite the name, is open to all patients and carers. It aims to support the mental health of men who are patients, as well as their carers or family members.
A cancer diagnosis has a big psychological impact. The gender impact assessment found women were more likely to access the psychosocial oncology service. Men were less comfortable getting psychological support and need different options.
The Men's Shed is safe and supportive place for men when they are more at risk of feeling isolated.
The assessment also revealed ways to improve accessibility of the Men's Shed. Research shows a correlation between cancer and disability, so this is important in how people use the space. It considered how to engage with different groups of patients. This includes events such as an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Men’s Yarning day, and events for trans men and gender-diverse consumers.
As a result of the gender impact assessment, the team was able to secure funding to increase access to the Men's Shed and its services. The project began in mid-2024.
Peter Mac looks forward to sharing lessons with the broader community.
Making equality a standard part of work
Peter Mac has separate reporting lines for patient services and for its workforce. It is trialling a new approach to improve visibility and accountability. Executive meetings now have a standing item for diversity, equity and inclusion activities.
This supports a holistic approach to intersectional gender equality initiatives across the organisation.
It has also developed a video for staff(opens in a new window), explaining why this work is important. This identifies harm from gender inequality as one of the social determinants of poor health outcomes.
The next phase of the impact assessment program aims to highlight gender balance in cancer research. Worldwide, clinical trials have often focused on men, or did not capture data on sex and gender. This means treatments may not work as well for women. Peter Mac will seek to address participation and data collection in future cancer research. This has the potential to affect people on a global scale.
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