health services
summary
Biomedical science - discoveries of new treatments and their
evaluation in trials - is incomplete without health-services
research, also known as implementation science.
The broad goals of health-services research are twofold.
The first is to generate knowledge about the clinical-effectiveness
and cost-effectiveness of competing treatments (and diagnostic
tests), in the real-world of everyday clinical practice. The
second is to apply this knowledge to ensure high-quality,
cost-effectiveness care; for all patients.
This involves making a better connection between knowing "the
right thing to do" (being informed on evidence-based medicine), and
"doing the right thing' (applying that knowledge in everyday
clinical practice).
group leader(s)
A/Professor Michael Coory
Health Services
Murdoch Childrens Research Institute
Flemington Road
Parkville Victoria 3052
T 0432 712 154
E michael.coory@mcri.edu.au
group leader biography
current research projects
Project 1:Patterns-of-care for adolescent
cancer
Adolescent cancer is more common than childhood cancer, but the
remarkable progress made in treating childhood cancers (greater
than 75% of children can now be cured) has not been seen in
adolescent cancers; where the cure rate is much lower than
75%. There are many possible reasons for this including
diagnostic delay, dilution of expertise across multiple
institutions, variable referral pathways, and poor treatment
adherence. By examining, for the first time in Australia,
patterns of care for adolescents with cancer, we aim to identify
ways of ensuring that scientific advances in cancer treatments are
effectively translated to everyday care of adolescents with
cancer.
Project 2: Diagnostic tests for stillbirth
Unexplained stillbirth is now more common than SIDS. But,
not all hospitals investigate stillbirths in the same way and we do
not know which laboratory and clinical investigations are needed to
reassure parents and provide them with information to reduce the
risk if they decide to have another baby. The research on
this topic will optimise everyday clinical practice, as distinct
from laboratory or other work to identify causes of
stillbirth.
Project 3: Monitoring clinical trial
enrolment
Clinical trials lie behind the remarkable scientific progress
made in the treatment of childhood cancer. They encourage
innovation and generate knowledge to benefit current and future
cancer patients. Not surprisingly, the opportunity to
participate in a clinical trial has been described as a basic
requirement of quality cancer care and the participation rate has
been proposed as an indicator of the ability of the health system
to provide quality cancer care. This study will alleviate a
gap in health information by trialling an inexpensive procedure
that will routinely provide population-based estimates of
participation rates.
team members
- Monica Green - Data Manager
publications
- Coory MD. Distance to the closest radiotherapy facility and survival after a diagnosis of rectal cancer in Queensland. MEDICAL JOURNAL OF AUSTRALIA 195 (41254) : 661 - 662(2011) PubMed
- Moore SP., Green AC., Garvey G., Coory M., Valery PC. A study of head and neck cancer treatment and survival among indigenous and non-indigenous people in Queensland, Australia, 1998 to 2004. BMC Cancer 11 : 460 (2011)