SUMMARY
Supportive oncological care is essential for ensuring the quality of life of cancer patients and carers. In the long-term, adequate care for survivors can lead to less severe sequelae and reduced need for medical support. Despite the advances in cancer treatment leading to increased survival rates, not all patients in Belgium have equal access to supportive care. Key hindrances include the lack of legal and practice frameworks and insufficient knowledge of available services among patients and professionals. This paper discusses the development of a supporting tool for professionals to adequately refer patients to reliable and accessible supportive care services in Belgium: The Belgian Handbook for (Haemato)-Oncological Supportive Care. The methods used in the development process are presented and discussed with regard to achieving a useful and sustainable tool.
(BELG J MED ONCOL 2025;19(2): 54–60)
