Aims There is currently no evidence on the social return on investment (SROI) to inform the future funding and direction of telephone CISS. Developing a Theory of Change (TOC) is the first, critical step in SROI and clarifies assumptions, describing how telephone CISS creates social value for the wider community. The aim of this study was to develop a TOC from stakeholders’ experiences and perspectives to underpin the SROI analysis of Cancer Council Victoria’s telephone CISS (131120).
Methods 16 convenience sampled key stakeholders (some identified as multiple stakeholder types: 5 patients/survivors, 2 carers, 4 service providers, 3 healthcare professionals, 5 researchers) participated in three facilitated, online focus groups and two interviews to identify the resources (inputs) into 131120, activities (outputs) and outcomes, and describe how the service brings about change. The discussions were recorded, transcribed, coded thematically and formulated as a logic model (TOC). The TOC was then circulated to participants for checking to enhance trustworthiness.
Results Key resources identified included staffing, information and communication technology (ICT), training and organisation overheads. Activities included information provision, supportive and therapeutic communications and referrals to other services. Participants hypothesized that contacting 131120 enhances callers’ knowledge on preventing, detecting, diagnosing, treating, surviving and living with cancer and provides support on how best to do this. Increased knowledge, greater empowerment, and reduced unmet needs promotes healthy behaviours and leads to improved health, wellbeing and more targeted and appropriate use of healthcare services.
Conclusion Based on stakeholders’ views, data on personnel, infrastructure, ICT and training costs, knowledge and empowerment levels, unmet needs, wellbeing and healthcare use are needed to inform a rigorous SROI of 131120. This is the first stage in a multi-study program of research defining the economic and social return on investment of Victoria’s 131120 service.