A vast data resource developed by the VCCC Alliance is poised to deliver information that will contribute to improving outcomes for cancer patients, says Professor Grant McArthur AO.
Speaking to an audience of more than 90 people at a research showcase for the Data Connect project, the VCCC Alliance chief executive said it was a ‘landmark project’ that ‘empowers whole of system data’.
Launched in 2023, Data Connect is a major collaboration between the VCCC Alliance, the University of Melbourne, hospitals and BioGrid Australia, that has enabled the linking of general practice and hospital data for the first time in Australia for cancer research.
Professor McArthur said data available for research extended from pre- to post-diagnosis, and beyond. “What excites me is the whole of system data that is in place, all the way from pre diagnosis in general practice in the community, through to health service and end of life care,” he said.
“We can always get better with early diagnosis, pick up warning signs, and that’s a real focus of the research that’s coming out of Data Connect”
- Professor Grant McArthur
“I’m amazed that there are now 23 projects underway. It’s not a matter of flicking a switch and everything happens. It really took time to build this fantastic resource and data linkage capabilities, and now it’s really poised to deliver data and information.”
Prof McArthur said Data Connect also complemented the objectives of the Australian Cancer Plan. “There is significant focus in the Australia Cancer Plan on optimal care pathways to drive better outcomes for patients with cancer. Without data, that aspiration will never be achieved. So it’s fantastic that the Data Connect program can really add a lot to that endeavour to improve patient outcomes.”
BioGrid Chief Executive Maureen Turner said the data platform provided by BioGrid to Data Connect was unique because it was embedded legally, ethically and technically in hospitals and streamlined the ethics approval process for researchers. As part of an agreement, all VCCC Alliance partners are members of the platform.
Researchers Dr Alex Lee and Dr Meena Rafiq showcased their individual research projects using the linked data. Dr Lee’s research is examining cancer risk in patients with unexplained weight loss, while Dr Rafiq’s is exploring the potential to detect cancer earlier by identifying a ‘diagnostic window’ – when patients present to general practice with symptoms months before diagnosis. Dr Rafiq looked at data from patients presenting to their doctor who went on to develop colorectal or lung cancer.
Prof Jon Emery, VCCC Alliance Research and Education Lead, Primary Care has been a key driver of the Data Connect project which has now been funded across three (two?) of the alliance’s programs of work. He discussed the next phase of the project including the benefit of incorporating data from the Centre for Victorian Data Linkage.
Data Connect now includes data (which is de-identified) on more than 70 million GP visits, three million patients, 4.2 million hospital presentations and 2.7 million emergency department presentations.
Learn more about Data Connect or read about the launch in our previous article.
