Austria

Cancer care in Austria

Austria generally presents the highest standards of cancer care. However, disparities between regions, especially between the major regions such as Vienna and Salzburg and the rest of the country are apparent. While inpatient treatment can be considered well developed, there is still potential for better and more efficient management in outpatient care, for instance in rehabilitation and aftercare. Furthermore, the system is undergoing major reforms with the aim to reduce the administrative and financial burden by aiming to increase more efficient processes.

All.Can Austria initiative

All.Can Austria’s mission is to establish structures and concerted actions that ensure cancer patients not only survive but have a chance to return to their daily lives. To this end, representatives from patient organisations, healthcare professionals, researchers, scientific media and industry united to work together and have been accepted as a national initiative by the All.Can international steering committee in June 2019.

Activities and milestones

All.Can Austria has endorsed two projects to start with:

1. A systemic approach to embed All.Can Austria in the national health landscape and ensure a strategic orientation with a concept paper; and
2. Evaluation of the efficiency and efficacy of tumour boards with the aim of improving patient outcomes. This project is carried out in cooperation with the Medical University of Vienna and hospitals throughout the country.

Further projects are in the process of evaluation for later implementation.