Your responsibilities as a patient

Being considerate

These responsibilities relate to practical issues while on-site, including:

• treating staff and other patients with courtesy and respect
• being on time for appointments or letting the healthcare provider know if you are unable to attend an appointment
• following any policies of your health service, such as visiting hours, using mobile phones or keeping the area smoke free
• asking permission if you would like to record consultations.

Being honest and open

It is important that your healthcare team has all the information they need to offer you the best possible treatment.

Tell your healthcare team if:

• you have a question or problem – it’s important that you talk about issues you don’t understand or that are troubling you so your team can help. If English is not your first language, you can ask for an interpreter
• there are factors in your life that might affect treatment decisions – for example, if you live alone or care for a young family
• you have side effects or pain – your team may be able to adjust the treatment or offer you medicine to relieve side effects
• you’re seeing more than one doctor or another health professional (including complementary or alternative therapy practitioners) for any part of your care
• you decide not to follow their advice – for example, by not taking the prescribed medicine or having certain tests
• you are taking any other medicines (including overthe-counter drugs, complementary and alternative medicines, and bush medicines). Some medicines interact with cancer drugs, and this can cause side effects or reduce a treatment’s effectiveness.

Being flexible

Your doctor will recommend treatment based on your initial test results, your overall health and the cancer care guidelines. Depending on how you respond to treatment, your doctor may have to adjust the agreed treatment plan. It’s important to be flexible and understand that your treatment may change over time. If changes happen, you still have the right to be involved as an equal partner when deciding on a new treatment plan.

It’s common to have to wait for tests and treatment in public hospitals. Waiting times depend on many factors, including the type of cancer, its stage, the treatment, and the hospital’s schedule. Waiting for treatment can be stressful – if you are anxious, speak to your doctor or call Cancer Connect on 13 11 20.