Using Clinical And Economic Evidence To Infrom Local Decision Making In Cancer Care
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,836,745.00
Summary
Medicines used to treat cancer often come with a high price tag. Many countries, including Australia, are no longer able to provide free access to all medicines. For this reason, patients and their families, public hospitals and private health insurers are often asked to pay for these treatments. Currently, health professionals and patients are ill-equipped to make informed treatment choices, since both cost and efficacy must be considered. Our proposed research will address this important gap i ....Medicines used to treat cancer often come with a high price tag. Many countries, including Australia, are no longer able to provide free access to all medicines. For this reason, patients and their families, public hospitals and private health insurers are often asked to pay for these treatments. Currently, health professionals and patients are ill-equipped to make informed treatment choices, since both cost and efficacy must be considered. Our proposed research will address this important gap in current knowledge. We will use a unique web-based resource (Cancer Institute NSW Standard Cancer Treatment Program; CI-SCaT) to communicate the economic evidence needed to make informed decisions about cancer treatments. Our project will provide public access to information about the effectiveness and costs of cancer drugs. This is a world first. CI-SCaT is already the main vehicle of communication about cancer drug treatments in NSW and is widely used by cancer health professionals and patients to inform point-of-care decisions. Our project we will also identify the factors which influence the ability of cancer treatment centres to make best use of their drug budgets. By achieving this goal, we hope to demonstrate how to best use scarce resources for the benefit of all cancer patients.Read moreRead less
Examining A Core Assumption Of Policy And Services For Older Indigenous Australians
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$133,387.00
Summary
In aged care service planning, the age 50 years or over is used for the Indigenous Australian population in the same way as the age 70 years is used for the non-Indigenous population. This is based on the lower life expectancy of the Indigenous population which is presumed to result in a need for aged care services at younger ages. The underlying assumption is that Australia's Indigenous population aged over 50 has the same set of age-associated conditions and care needs as the non-Indigenous po ....In aged care service planning, the age 50 years or over is used for the Indigenous Australian population in the same way as the age 70 years is used for the non-Indigenous population. This is based on the lower life expectancy of the Indigenous population which is presumed to result in a need for aged care services at younger ages. The underlying assumption is that Australia's Indigenous population aged over 50 has the same set of age-associated conditions and care needs as the non-Indigenous population aged over 70. The evidence for this assumption is not established. It is well documented that the Indigenous population has worse health outcomes across all age groups relative to non-Indigenous Australians. However, our understanding of the details of the observed pattern is far from complete. This project seeks to compare the health status of the Indigenous population aged 50 years or over to the health status of the non-Indigenous population aged 70 years or over. The project will analyse a number of data sets to inform future directions in policy and service provision. A better understanding of these issues is fundamental to informed planning and allocation of resources, to identification of areas amenable to prevention strategies and to the development of approaches to care that meet the needs of Indigenous people.Read moreRead less
Development Of A Palliative Care Service For Rural And Remote Communities
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$150,000.00
Summary
This project will develop, implement and evaluate a new model of providing palliative care to individuals in rural and remote communities that will utilise existing health and community resources to provide palliative care. As the number of patients requiring palliation in rural and remote communities is small, the service may not function at all times but come together (pop-up) as required. Evaluation of the model in three different types of rural communities will be undertaken in three states ....This project will develop, implement and evaluate a new model of providing palliative care to individuals in rural and remote communities that will utilise existing health and community resources to provide palliative care. As the number of patients requiring palliation in rural and remote communities is small, the service may not function at all times but come together (pop-up) as required. Evaluation of the model in three different types of rural communities will be undertaken in three states (New South Wales, Queensland and West Australia). Phase I will develop a framework to assist rural communities undertake a critical palliative care service review. Phase II will implement and evaluate the model, leading to recommendations for provision of best practice palliative care more generally in rural communities.Read moreRead less
Prospective Study Of Medical Emergency Team Calls To Define Issues Of End Of Life Decision Making
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$48,700.00
Summary
A Medical Emergency Team (MET) is a specialised team of doctors and nurses from the Intensive Care Unit who urgently come to patients on the general wards whose medical condition is very unstable. They have to make crucial decisions about their treatment in a very short time. The previous research in this area has been focussed on improving medical outcomes, however it is also apparent that the patients having MET calls are often seriously ill with life limiting illnesses. This study aims to exp ....A Medical Emergency Team (MET) is a specialised team of doctors and nurses from the Intensive Care Unit who urgently come to patients on the general wards whose medical condition is very unstable. They have to make crucial decisions about their treatment in a very short time. The previous research in this area has been focussed on improving medical outcomes, however it is also apparent that the patients having MET calls are often seriously ill with life limiting illnesses. This study aims to explore the broader aspects of care at this time, which are of paramount importance to patients and their families, such as various aspects of communication, particularly focusing on changing goals of care; and also the symptoms that may be causing significant distress for the patient. This project will provide information that will assist development of interventions that will both aim to improve quality of life and also communication in the setting of medical emergencies in patients with life limiting illness.Read moreRead less
A Model Of Current & Potential Palliative Care Constituency: Measuring Met & Unmet Needs
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$145,210.00
Summary
Although many health care providers believe palliative care should be offered to all Australians who need it, there is no population-based data to support this claim. This study will provide much needed population-based evidence by measuring the levels of met and unmet needs of people with active, progressive, advanced disease in the last 12 months of their lives. A model of current and potential palliative care constituency will be developed that will lead to improved access to palliative care ....Although many health care providers believe palliative care should be offered to all Australians who need it, there is no population-based data to support this claim. This study will provide much needed population-based evidence by measuring the levels of met and unmet needs of people with active, progressive, advanced disease in the last 12 months of their lives. A model of current and potential palliative care constituency will be developed that will lead to improved access to palliative care for people who do not traditionally access specialist palliative care services.Read moreRead less