2025 RTP round - Improving Lung Cancer Care: The Lung Cancer Clinical Quality Data Platform.

Status: Open

Applications open: 1/07/2024
Applications close: 18/08/2024

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About this scholarship
Description/Applicant information

Project Overview

The PhD will include implementation science and healthcare policy, technology translation and working closely with clinicians and medical institutions to establish and implement the LUng Cancer clinical quality dAta Platform (LUCAP). The platform will use continuous audit cycles against key clinical quality indicators of care to identify where significant improvements can be made to deliver consistent, world-class care across Australia. This centralised adaptable, expandable data platform will not only identify unwarranted variation in routine care, but also will provide long term observational outcomes, a trials platform, and scope for personalised medicine initiatives through linkage to biobanks. These interventions are not available through current, unlinked data sources. Linked data entry based on routinely captured data from the point of care will lead to bespoke site clinical quality reports, benchmarking, regional, state and national level reports, co-ordinated multi-site quality improvement and analysis of impacts to the health system (e.g. adoption of screening or the COVID pandemic). Overall, LUCAP will provide a single data platform for multiple initiatives to improve lung cancer outcomes and future treatments.

Aims

The aim of the LUCAP project is to develop a process to identify and alleviate unwarranted variation in the quality of lung cancer care in Australia.

Objectives

1. Establish a clinical quality data platform embedded within health systems for individuals with lung cancer for benchmarking against national CQIs. 
2. Support lung cancer care centres, researchers and policy makers with real time lung cancer CQI data to drive change. 
3. Generate high-quality outcomes data to drive novel research and treatment.

Significance

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in Australia (5-year survival 24%) and inflicts the highest loss of disability-adjusted life years. It is a major area of unmet need with Australian patients experiencing severe physical and psychological distress and poor quality of life. 
The adequacy of hospital resources to diagnose and treat lung cancer directly correlates with 1-year survival rates and we have demonstrated unwarranted variations in the clinical infrastructure for patients with lung cancer in Australia. These variations reduce survival and negatively affect quality of life. Equity is a significant concern with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experiencing double the rate of lung cancer diagnoses and mortality compared with non-Indigenous Australians.

An internship may be available for this project. Opportunity to link with Monash University Clinical Quality Registries program, and other state based initiatives such as Cancer Alliance Queensland.

Student type

• Future Students

Faculty

• Faculty of Health Sciences

Course type

• Higher Degree by Research

Citizenship

• Australian Citizen
• Australian Permanent Resident
• New Zealand Citizen
• Permanent Humanitarian Visa
• International Student

Scholarship base

• Merit Based

Value

The annual scholarship package, covering both stipend and tuition fees, amounts to approximately $70,000 per year.

In 2024, the RTP stipend scholarship offers $35,000 per annum for a duration of up to three years. Exceptional progress and adherence to timelines may qualify students for a six-month completion scholarship.

Top up scholarships for clinicians and exceptional candidates are negotiable.

Selection for these scholarships involves a competitive process, with shortlisted applicants notified of outcomes by November 2024.

Scholarship Details
Maximum number awarded

1

Eligible courses

All applicable HDR courses.

Eligibility criteria

This PhD will suit anyone with an interest in quality improvement in healthcare. They must be highly self motivated with excellent organisational and project management skills. 

A Masters degree in a relevant discipline requiring the completion of a publicly available thesis or research project to an acceptable standard; OR 
A Bachelors degree with (with first class or upper second honours); OR 
Graduated with a Bachelors degree and completed a postgraduate diploma or its equivalent, or completed a Masters degree by coursework with, in both cases, a course-weighted average of not less than 70% within the University, and demonstrated the capacity to undertake 
significant research. 

At least one degree will be in the Healthcare field 
• Preferably be experienced in healthcare delivery and/or population health 
• Preferably have experience in research and/or the use of statistical packages; and 
• Preferably have experience of publishing peer-reviewed research
 

Application process

Please send your CV, academic transcripts and brief rationale why you want to join this research project via the HDR expression of interest form to the project lead researcher, listed below. 

Enrolment Requirements

You must be enrolled in a Higher Degree by Research Course at Curtin University by March 2025.

Enquiries

Project Lead: Professor Fraser Brims

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