Demonstrating innovative pathways to high value care
We are establishing a digital health foundation for outcomes-based diagnostic excellence, safety and value.
Project sponsors: National Health and Medical Research Council (GNT2006755)
About the project
While the reliability of diagnostic tests in identifying the presence or otherwise of disease or risks factors can be readily established, the efficacy of their integration into clinical workflows within complex, often fragmented, healthcare systems – and the consequences for patient outcomes – remains little studied and poorly understood.
We aim to demonstrate innovative, scalable new pathways to high value care by:
- utilising diagnostic stewardship (coordinated guidance and interventions to ensure the appropriate utilisation of diagnostic tests for therapeutic decision-making)
- harnessing the considerable potential of digital health (the role information technology plays in generating, gathering, integrating, interpreting and communicating clinical test data and information).
Project goals
This project will undertake five interrelated research programs of work, using exemplar studies to deliver both immediate gains and the sustainable benefits of translation, to address the following aims:
- establish a patient-centred and outcomes-based approach to the measurement of diagnostic quality, the appropriateness of treatment and the effective monitoring of patients’ health status
- optimise the safety and effectiveness of test result management and follow-up procedures
- deliver digitally-enhanced evidence-based decision support, data analytics and knowledge management tools to facilitate timely and effective decision-making and disease management.
Project lead: Professor Andrew Georgiou
- Professor Janaki Amin
- Dr Getiye Kibret
- Julie Li – PhD candidate
- Dr Mirela Prgomet – Senior Research Fellow
- Dr Judith Thomas – Research Fellow
- Professor Johanna Westbrook
This project builds on an existing, highly-productive collaboration bringing together Macquarie University researchers with leading clinical researchers from:
- Abbott Diagnostics
- Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care
- NSW Health Pathology
- South Eastern Sydney, Illawarra and Shoalhaven Local Health Districts
- the Garvan Institute of Medical Research
- the Sydney Partnership for Health, Education, Research and Enterprise (SPHERE).