Thanks to the support of philanthropy, the RCH is home to an innovative service called the Centre for Health Analytics (CHA). Established in 2020, the CHA harnesses the power of clinical data to improve patient care, tackle complex challenges and revolutionise healthcare.
As the first of its kind in Australia, the CHA leverages data held in the RCH’s electronic medical record (EMR) to inform decisions and even predict health problems.
The EMR holds health information for every patient
at the RCH, from a child’s involvement in a world- leading clinical trial, to the results of their routine blood test. With nearly a decade’s worth of data, from the hundreds of thousands of patients who visit the RCH annually, this is one of the largest databases of paediatric data in the country.
The CHA works collaboratively with clinicians and researchers across the Melbourne Children’s Campus to improve the way data is used to benefit patients. Ross McKenzie, the Director of the CHA, likens their efforts to ‘detective work.’
“We help clinicians, researchers and operational teams improve the care that’s provided to patients at the hospital. They come to us with questions, and we provide them with data-driven answers and insights,” Ross shared.
With over 360 projects completed so far, the CHA’s work has led to better clinical decisions, improved hospital function and innovative research that directly supports children with a variety of health concerns – including common conditions like asthma and urinary tract conditions to the rarer health challenges, like cancer and gender dysphoria.
“We have really good examples of where we have taken this data and improved care. And probably the best examples of that are in our embedded clinical trials,” Ross shared.
An embedded clinical trial is a type of study where a researcher has the ability to assess new or existing treatments under ordinary real-world conditions by building it into normal hospital care. Using the EMR, the RCH has been able to involve patients in these trials, to compare the effectiveness of interventions and make the necessary changes to medical care.
“For example, we have been looking at early versus late stopping of antibiotics in children that have cancer,” Ross shared.
“When a child has cancer, they may need antibiotics and ideally you don’t want them on this medication for any longer than necessary as this can cause harm. By reducing the duration of antibiotic use, we can help children return home from the hospital sooner. So, we’re currently recruiting children to be a part of this trial to gather evidence to help improve patient care,” he continued.
The CHA has brought about numerous positive changes in healthcare. This includes supporting an evaluation project of how the hospital identifies patients with a disability in the EMR.
“This project demonstrates our commitment to equitable care. Without effective data collection, a lot of patients with a disability may not receive the quality and timely support and care they deserve. This system of self-reporting is actively improving patient care,” Ross highlighted.
Ross is incredibly proud of the work that the CHA has done to support countless sick children and young people. He is also incredibly thankful to donors and the RCH Foundation for making this work possible.
“We are incredibly grateful to the RCH Foundation and the donors. The CHA is designed to improve the care for children both here and beyond the walls of the hospital. We are helping build and transform the future of healthcare through analytics,” Ross said.