The Sydney West Translational Cancer Research Centre is a five year program grant funded by the Cancer Institute NSW aimed at improving patient outcomes through translational research. Multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) are key to the delivery of cancer care in Australia. There is a lack of knowledge and research into how these MDT teams can best be engaged in translational research from basic science through to implementation science and quality improvement.

2. Translational Research and
Multidisciplinary Teams
Tim Shaw, Anna Janssen, Kylie Museth,
Tracy Robinson and Paul Harnett

3. OUR TEAM
• Professor Paul Harnett - Director, Sydney West TCRC
• Professor Tim Shaw - Director, WEDG, USyd
• Dr Tracy Robinson – Research Fellow (USyd & SW TCRC)
• Ms Pamela Provan - Manager, Sydney West, TCRC
• Kylie Museth (Innovations Manager, SW TCRC)
• Ms Anna Janssen -Project Manager, (Usyd & SW TCRC)
• Dr. Karin Lyons - Research Support Officer (WM)
• Dr Jenny Shannon – Nepean Hospital
• Dr Peter Flynn – Nepean Hospital
• Dr Julie Howle – Westmead Hospital

4. Translational Research

5. Clinical & Translational Research:
Valleys of Death
Basic Biomedical
Research
Clinical Science
& Knowledge
Clinical Practice
& Health Decision
Making
Translational Continuum
Valley 1 Valley 2
Copyright University of Pittsburgh 2006
Reis et al. Clin Transl Sci 2008
14% enter into standard clinical practice; 1%
lead to important health impacts
Thanks to Eva Grunfeld

6. Sydney West TCRC
• MDT’s primary vehicle for cancer care
• Part of wider program in cancer care (not just
meetings)
• Significant investment - time and resources
• Looking at defining what makes for a high
performing Multidisciplinary care program

7. Key questions
• What is role of MDTs in Translational Research
across the T’s?
• What is the engagement of MDTS in quality
improvement?
• How can quality improvement and translational
research (Implementation Science) be combined
within the multidisciplinary teams and broader care?

8. Current Study

9. Phase 1 (qualitative)
Observations (N=43) of MDT
tumor stream meetings
– Lung
– UGIT
– LGIT
– Gynae Onc
– Breast
– Breast metastatic
– Urology
– Melanoma
Semi structured interviews
(N=18)
– Surgeons
– Oncologists (medical and
radiation)
– Clinical trial coordinators
– Nurses
– Policy makers
– Pathologists
– Research fellows
– Basic scientists

10. Phase 1 Broad Findings
• Most MDTs use T2 research and some generate it
• Small number generate T1 research
• Very few MDTs active in T3 research or quality
improvement
• Awareness of T3 research is low
• The relationship of MDTs versus individual (s) in
research is unclear
• Not all disciplines appear equally research active
• Currently substantially missed opportunity

11. Key Enabling Factors
• Integrated data & audit / feedback
• Academic leadership/ capacity
• Embedded expertise
• Regular business/research meetings
• Research fellows (T3)/Medical students
• Access to external expertise

13. Next Steps
• Pilot under way with Upper GIT
• Proactive engagement with QI – prospective
data identified
• Develop formal structures for QI to interface
with MDTs
• Pilot joint IS intervention with selected team
• Established formal Data Innovation Lab as part
of reapplication with LHD, University and
eHealth NSW

14. Use of data and MDTs
Impact on clinical
practice
+
Impact on
professional
development
+
Impact on quality
improvement
+
Generation of
research questions