Priority Setting Research and Evaluation Projects

On this page:

Current projects

Current Projects

Pathways to care and outcomes for elective surgery: A prospective cohort study
This study has followed for 18 months a cohort of patients considered for surgical referral by GPs. The study has identified patients receiving and not receiving surgery, exploring the reasons in each case, and auditing patients’ health care utilisation and health outcomes. All data on around 1600 patients has been collected and the findings are being written up for publication. In collaboration with the University of Otago.

Funding:  Health Research Council of New Zealand.
HSRC Researchers: Jackie Cumming, Antony Raymont, Megan Pledger.

Coronary artery bypass graft surgery: Evaluation of the validity of the prioritisation score and the impact of waiting
This study is testing the predictive power of Clinical Priority Assessment Criteria (CPAC) scores (and components of scores), several serum bio-markers, total treadmill test times, and socioeconomic variables, and assesses the costs of waiting for care. In depth data has been collected on the experiences of around 150 New Zealanders in order to assess the impact of waiting for elective surgery on health and economic factors. In collaboration with the Universities of Auckland, Canterbury and Otago.

Funding: Health Research Council of New Zealand.
HSRC Researchers: Jackie Cumming, Megan Pledger.

Equity, variation and convergence in surgeons’ clinical judgements of priority
This study documents the variability of general surgeons’ clinical judgements of priority for elective surgical patients at three hospitals in New Zealand. The study is investigating whether a structured feedback intervention, involving written feedback and peer discussion by surgeons of variable clinical judgements across their ranks, provokes a ‘convergence’ of priority judgements. It also assesses the impact, if any, on patients’ health-related quality of life should convergence in priority judgements occur.

The first round of data on general surgery patients has been collected in three centres, the findings analysed and presented to participating hospital staff. The next phase of the research involves further feedback and collection of additional patient data to identify if decision making converges over time. In collaboration with the Universities of Auckland and Otago, and involving Auckland, Canterbury and Otago DHB services.

Funding:  Health Research Council of New Zealand.
HSRC Researcher: Jackie Cumming.