Cancer Health Services Research Unit

Vision

To drive value-based transformative improvements across the cancer care continuum, envisioning a sustainable and equitable healthcare system.

Mission

We are a multidisciplinary team conducting data-driven and evidence-based health services research to optimise equitable cancer care that reflects the needs and preferences of people affected by cancer.

Organisation and Engagement

The Cancer Health Services Research (CHSR) Unit is part of the Centre for Health Policy at the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health. CHSR has active collaborations in Australia and worldwide. Working with the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, the CHSR Unit plays a pivotal role in the development and use of healthcare admin and clinical data for the improvement of cancer health services across Victoria. The Unit has conducted significant work with leading Victorian hospitals, including Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, WEHI, Western Health,  the Austin, Royal Melbourne, St. Vincent’s, and Royal Women’s Hospitals.

Our People

Publications

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