Research
The Cancer Health Services Research Unit focuses on the following research streams in their data-driven and evidence-based research.
Data-Driven Health Care Improvement
To optimise the use of health data to evaluate, inform and improve cancer services and outcomes
Key activities include:
- Establishing data linkages including State and Commonwealth health administrative data, and clinical registries
- Expert curation of fit-for purpose datasets leading to actionable evidence that leverages data science methodologies
- Development and application of novel data science and statistical methods to establish real-world evidence and address uncertainty in data
- Early health technology assessment including horizon scanning of innovative therapies
Economic Evaluation & Modelling
To provide evidence-based support for healthcare decision-making and resource prioritisation in cancer care
Key activities include:
- Economic modelling of novel approaches for early detection, diagnosis, and treatment selection
- Trial and real-world evidence-based economic evaluation, including micro-costing and budget impact analysis
- Appraising and synthesising existing health economic evidence to inform policy decisions
- Burden of cancer estimates
Patient Preferences, Utility & Experience
To better measure and integrate patient values throughout the full continuum of cancer care
Key activities include:
- Conducting health preferences research to inform what matters the most to people with cancer regarding treatment decision-making, new technologies and medicines
- Measuring and valuing quality of life and wellbeing outcomes to facilitate health economic evaluation in cancer
- Measuring and valuing patient experiences to facilitate subjective health services quality improvement and performance evaluation in cancer