Table 2.

Optimal Care Pathway questions by category and sub-category.

CATEGORY 1: ABORIGINAL AND/OR TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER PERSPECTIVES ON
Sub-categories	Health, illness, well-being.
	Cancer perspectives (meaning, fears, concerns, and taboos).
	Gender-specific matters (‘Men’s Business’ and ‘Women’s Business’).
	The connection between country, spirituality, family, community and health.
	Spiritual practices, traditional healers, and traditional, complementary or alternative medicine therapies.
	Knowing when to use traditional terminology (e.g. when to use ‘Aunty’ or ‘Uncle’).
CATEGORY 2: PREVENTION AND EARLY DETECTION: USING CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE INFORMATION TO DISCUSS
Sub-categories	Risk reduction (e.g. quit smoking and healthy eating).
	Screening and immunisation (e.g. mammograms and HPV vaccination).
	Early detection (cancer signs and symptoms, and co-morbidities).
CATEGORY 3: PRESENTATION, INITIAL INVESTIGATIONS AND REFERRAL)
Sub-categories	Using culturally relevant information to explain the reasons for diagnostic/referral investigations to the patient and their family/carer.
	Addressing patient and family concerns about cancer and cancer treatment.
CATEGORY 4: DIAGNOSIS, STAGING & TREATMENT PLANNING
Sub-categories	Understanding factors which influence Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander patients’ decisions about treatment and ongoing care.
	Speaking in a culturally appropriate way about treatment options and the expected outcomes of these treatments.
	Checking/knowing if the person has understood the information I have provided about the treatment plan.
	Access to an expert with culturally appropriate knowledge in the multidisciplinary meetings (MDM).
	Culturally appropriate resources to discuss and seek informed consent to participate in clinical trials (if clinically appropriate).
CATEGORY 5: TREATMENT
Sub-categories	Practising trauma-informed care using culturally informed approaches.
	Understanding cultural practices in the clinical setting (e.g. touching patients and who to discuss diagnosis/prognosis with).
	Working with families during cancer treatment and follow-up care.
	Understanding cultural perceptions about pain experiences, relief and management.
	Pathways/processes to work with the Aboriginal Hospital Liaison Officer/Aboriginal Health Worker during treatment and follow-up care.
	Knowing about Indigenous-specific patient assistance programs/schemes (e.g. Close the Gap prescriptions).
	Understanding the potential barriers to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people accessing treatment, health services, and/or follow-up care.
CATEGORY 6: CARE AFTER INITIAL TREATMENT AND RECOVERY
Sub-categories	Developing culturally appropriate treatment summaries and/or follow-up care plans.
	Strategies to provide culturally appropriate information about the signs and symptoms of recurrent and secondary prevention of disease.
	Strategies to provide culturally appropriate information about healthy living after cancer treatment.
	Information about referral options/pathways for social and emotional well-being and mental health services.
	Processes to keep a patient’s General Practitioner updated (e.g. prognosis and a follow-up care plan).
CATEGORY 7: SUPPORTIVE CARE
Sub-categories	Using the Supportive Care Need Assessment Tool - Indigenous Patients (SCNAT-IP) to identify supportive care needs.
	Using a culturally appropriate pain tool to better identify and manage pain.
	Culturally appropriate supportive care services (internal and external to service).
Category 8: RECURRENT, RESIDUAL AND METASTATIC DISEASE
Sub-categories	Using culturally appropriate language to explain treatment intent, outcomes or adverse events for recurrent, residual or metastatic disease.
	Discussing advance care planning in a culturally relevant manner with patients and their families/carers.
	Discussing referral to palliative care with patients and their families/carers.
CATEGORY 9: END OF LIFE CARE
Sub-categories	Using culturally appropriate language when discussing death or dying.
	Discussing cultural preferences related to practices around death and dying.