Muna Al-Khaifi, GP oncologist at Mount Sinai Hospital (Toronto), Sinai Health, shared on LinkedIn:
“Advancing the quality of cancer survivorship care in Ontario
I am pleased to share our work featured at the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Quality Care Symposium:
Abstract #641: Developing provincial cancer survivorship standards to inform quality of care in Ontario, Canada.
As co-chair of the Cancer Survivorship Quality Standard Advisory Committee, I have had the privilege of working with healthcare professionals, lived experience advisors, and Ontario Health colleagues to develop an evidence-informed framework for consistent, coordinated, and equitable survivorship care.
The development process involved 27 committee members, evidence review, three structured consensus meetings, and public consultation, including targeted engagement with equity-deserving groups.
The standard includes five quality statements:
- Comprehensive Assessment at Regular Intervals
Regular needs assessment, documented in a person-centred care plan, with referral to services. - Transitions, Care Coordination and Primary Care
Shared, coordinated care between teams and settings, integrated with primary care. - Psychosocial Support
Regular psychosocial screening for survivors and care partners, with support or referral, as needed. - Patient Education and Self-Management
Survivorship education and self-management support throughout the cancer trajectory. - Accessible, Culturally Safe and Equitable Care
Accessible, compassionate, culturally responsive care for equity-deserving groups and Indigenous peoples.
Together, these statements provide a structured foundation to improve the consistency, coordination, and quality of cancer survivorship care in Ontario.
Successful implementation will require addressing system-level barriers, strengthening interdisciplinary collaboration, and ongoing evaluation to assess improvements in patient outcomes and experiences.
Thank you to my co-chair, Dr. Anand Govindarajan, our co-authors, Ontario Health colleagues and all committee members and lived experience advisors whose expertise and perspectives shaped this work.”
You can also read: GCOS 2026 First Half of Day 2: Precision Exercise, Global Survivorship and New Approaches to Amyloidosis
