Measuring Patient Preferences For Treatment Of Colorectal Cancer Using Discrete Choice Modelling
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$188,912.00
Summary
Around the world, governments, medical professional bodies, individual clinicians and patients are trying to make decisions in health care more rationally. More of these decisions are 'informed' by evidence-based medicine, which depends on a systematic review of all relevant evidence of acceptable scientific rigour. This kind of systematic review has been conducted for the management of colorectal cancer. Patients making choices about possible treatment for colorectal cancer will then have the b ....Around the world, governments, medical professional bodies, individual clinicians and patients are trying to make decisions in health care more rationally. More of these decisions are 'informed' by evidence-based medicine, which depends on a systematic review of all relevant evidence of acceptable scientific rigour. This kind of systematic review has been conducted for the management of colorectal cancer. Patients making choices about possible treatment for colorectal cancer will then have the best 'evidence-based' information to hand. But not enough is known about what aspects of the treatment options matter most to patients. Choosing between different treatment options involves weighing up or trading-off different factors associated with each therapy. Depending on the clinical stage of their cancer, patients may have to choose between the type and size of surgical operation, whether or not to have chemotherapy and-or radiotherapy, the side effects of treatment, the chance of a recurrence of the disease and an early death as well as their quality of life. This research project will ask patients who have already been treated for their colorectal cancer what kind of tradeoffs they make between factors such as disease-free survival, toxicity of treatment and longer term quality of life. This will be done using hypothetical clinical scenarios comparing one type of treatment to another. In this way, the hypothetical choices will be informed by the patient's experience with treatment without asking them to reflect or dwell directly on their own treatment choices. The answers to the hypothetical choice questions can be used to assess what factors in treatment are most important to patients and by how much. This information can then be used by clinicians when presenting evidence-based information on treatment for patients newly diagnosed colorectal cancer.Read moreRead less
The Impact Of Insurance On Use Of Dental Services And Oral Health
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$203,616.00
Summary
Dental problems are very common in the Australian population, and health expenditure on dental services is large. This project addresses the impact of dental insurance on use of dental services and oral health outcomes to investigate the effect of insurance on dental visit patterns and mix of dental services provided, and examine how the cost of dental care is related to outcomes such as tooth loss and quality of life.
A Novel Point Of Care (PoC) Device For Predicting And Monitoring Bleeding And Clotting (haemostasis)
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$608,979.00
Summary
Manipulating the bleeding/clotting system is a critical but expensive part of modern medicine, eg some people need blood thinners while others can bleed too much. Thrombin generation is the ideal overall test for the bleeding/clotting of blood, but current methods have major problems. We developed and patented a test that deals with most of the problems. This proposal will create an assay that is easy for doctors to perform without a specialised laboratory.
The Voice As A Behavioural Probe Of Patient Functioning In Disorders Of The Central Nervous System
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$29,255.00
Summary
Health conditions like pain and depression are difficult to measure, yet we can hear in someone’s voice if they are upset or distressed. This study is looking to develop ways the voice can be used to track changes in a patient’s condition. By recording a speech sample and analyzing parts of the signal, we may be able to tell if a drug treatment for depression is working, or if a patient is experiencing less pain after therapy.
Development And Valuation Of Cancer-specific Multi-attribute Health States For Use In Economic Evaluation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$707,671.00
Summary
Economic evaluation is used by the Australian government in deciding which medical services and pharmaceuticals should be funded. This study will develop quality of life utility measures for use in economic evaluation of cancer interventions in Australia and internationally. This represents a significant methodological contribution to the assessment of quality of life, effectiveness and efficiency in cancer, in one of Australia's national health priority areas.