Informal care for (ex)cancer patients

Better quality of life through emotional & social support

Project Overview 

Every person in the Netherlands will at some stage have an experience with cancer. KWF Dutch Cancer Society is stimulating access to informal supportive care for cancer patients and their loved ones. Together with partners NFK (Dutch Federation of Cancer Patient Organizations), IPSO (Federation of Psychosocial Support Centers) and Kanker.nl (digital platform, website & community for cancer patients) KWF is developing a strategic action plan for the coming years: to strengthen the social networks that provide informal care to cancer patients and their loved ones. So that they feel supported, informed and understood and can regain strength and resilience to lead fulfilling lives again

When you or someone close to you has (had) cancer, it disrupts your life. You usually need more than just medical treatment: think of emotional support, practical advice and information. Many people can rely on relatives and friends, but not all. An international survey (2019) of patient insights into cancer care found that 69% felt the need for psychological and social support during or after their cancer care, and of these, 34% stated it was not available.

Informal supportive care can take various forms, e.g. personal attention from trained volunteers, peer-support from people who are going through the same things, a variety of courses and workshops. This can happen in groups or one-on-one, both face-to-face and online.

Action and Impact

In November 2021, KWF Dutch Cancer Society asked Heartbeat Ventures for support with strengthening informal care in the Netherlands for cancer patients and their loved ones. One of the main aims was to find alignment with three partner organizations: NFK, IPSO and Kanker.nl, because more impact can be made by teaming up and joining efforts. Heartbeat Ventures’ role was to lead a project to come to shared strategic goals and an action plan, in co-creation with the four organizations, within a time frame of 5 months (Dec 2021 – April 2022)

We formed a core team including expertise from KWF and Wegwijzer bij Kanker. Through interviews, work sessions and desk research, we got clear insights into the current situation, proof points as well as key questions, and the ambitions and challenges for the future. Members of a steering committee with leading representatives from each organization were engaged in conversations, both one-on-one and as a group, to understand and decide on priorities for collaborative action. This way we reached alignment on the strategic goals for 2030. Then we prepared and facilitated a one-day strategy workshop where participants from the four organizations together developed strategic action plans: translating the long-term goals into concrete steps to take, and indicating which stakeholders to involve.

KWF, NFK, IPSO and Kanker.nl now have a clear view on the ways forward to make positive impact together, to ensure that cancer patients and their loved ones will more often and more easily find and get the support they need.

Contact person: Liesbeth Scholten