What is the
Health Services Research Unit?
The Health Services Research Unit
(HSRU) at The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) is the first paediatric HSR unit
in Australasia. Founded in 2015, it aims to grow paediatric expertise in HSR.
The HSRU is funded by The Royal
Children’s Hospital Foundation. Led by Professor Harriet Hiscock, the unit
works in partnership with the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) to
support the development and use of the best available evidence to increase the
quality, accessibility, and value of healthcare. HSRU conducts research to
guide approaches to delivering the best and most cost-efficient comprehensive
care for children. It aims to reduce inequities and to improve health outcomes
for children across Victoria and Australia.
Why is
health services research important?
Health services research is a
multi-disciplinary scientific field that examines:
- How people get access to healthcare
practitioners and services
- How much care costs
- What happens to patients as a result of this
care
With the growing
cost and demand for health services and the complexity of health care delivery,
interest in health services research has increased globally.
Health services research
helps to identify the most effective ways to organise, manage, finance, and
deliver high quality care and improve patient safety. This kind of research is
more concerned with delivery and access to care in contrast to medical
research, which focuses on the development and evaluation of clinical
treatments.
Studies investigate how social factors, financing systems, organisational
structures and processes, medical technology, and personal behaviours affect
access to healthcare, the quality and cost of healthcare, and quantity and
quality of life.
Health Services Research Unit Our Work and Impact: 2015 - 2021