Ethical and moral principles require that we search for new ways to better understand barriers of care and agree on new ways to address them. This is further underscored by national health authorities and cancer guidelines.

Collaboration between different sectors surrounding the patient in the form of Shared care models present an opportunity for patients to receive the benefits of specialist care combined with the continuity of care and management of comorbidity provided by the general practitioner and mental health care. More involvement of general practitioners is demanded by patients and society and is shown to improve quality of cancer care. We have previously shown the feasibility and usefulness of bringing together professionals from different sectors to share treatment planning and decision-making in oncology using video consultations. Involving patients, relatives and professionals in research and clinical practice, for instance in the form of action research and shared decision-making, has a beneficial effect in intervention development and implementation. The same positive effects have been shown for patients with mental illness. A research-based process where patients, clinicians, and researchers partner up to expand knowledge and develop a feasible model with long-term visions may be a fruitful way to reach the goal of minimizing inequity.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to explore the needs of cancer patients with mental illness and their relatives and professionals as well as possible solutions in order to later co-develop an intervention supporting people with mental comorbidity through their oncologic treatment.