The CRCSI’s Health Program asks the question: does location affect my health?” The answer is clearly yes.
The Atlas of Cancer in Queensland, produced by the Cancer Council Queensland, with technical input from the CRCSI and researchers from QUT, has emphatically proven this. Findings from the research resulted in substantial policy reform, including a landmark doubling of Queensland’s Patient Travel Subsidy Scheme in 2013, allowing people in regional areas more ready access to diagnostic and treatment services. Connecting people at risk of cancer with the right treatment at the right time is critical to improving survival outcomes. The Queensland Cancer Atlas work has led to the establishment of a new project, the National Cancer Atlas (NCA), with support from Cancer Councils across the country as well as the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
The tools in the NCA will continue to focus on people-centred questions to improve decision support, business intelligence and resource management for the health sector. Work on the NCA will potentially save many lives across Australia.