As a part of the development and consultation process, chaired by Rosemary Huxtable AO PSM, AHRA has provided advice and feedback, outlining its priorities. AHRA views this planning process as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to establish enduring, system-wide platforms that address long-standing challenges in the health research ecosystem.
AHRA has advocated for scalable, structural solutions that strengthen the foundation of the health research ecosystem. The focus of this feedback was on achieving longer-term structural change rather than short-term or fragmented initiatives initiatives that are less likely to yield lasting impact.
AHRA continues to advocate for investment in critical platforms for research translation, which include:
- Structure for a clinical research workforce: Building and supporting a clinical research workforce embedded in health systems (see Example 1 below).
- Improved, system-wide data access: Systematically improving universal, timely, and secure data access, referencing models like the UK’s National Data Service and Singapore’s initiatives (see Example 3 below).
- National research platforms: Implementing national platforms that provide universal, streamlined research processes (ethics and governance) across jurisdictions, such as the proposed national one-stop shop for clinical trials (see Example 2 below).
Investment in Research Infrastructure
AHRA emphasises the need for investment in research infrastructure that develops capacity and quality proportionate to need, particularly in priority populations. This includes Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and those in rural, regional, and remote areas (see Example 4 below).
Later-Stage Research Translation
AHRA also highlights the importance of a distinctive approach to later-stage research translation into health services. This approach complements existing investments in early-stage translation of discovery research into commercial applications. In its submission to the strategy, it emphasises that the majority of societal and system-level health benefits emerge through the integration of research into everyday healthcare delivery.
Commitment to Collaboration
AHRA is committed to continuing its support for the development of the National Health and Medical Research Strategy.
For more information on AHRA’s input into the National Health and Medical Research Strategy, email: [email protected].
Australian and International Platform Investment Examples
Example 1: Platform investment to embed research and implementation expertise within healthcare quality improvement systems
England’s NIHR Applied Research Collaborations (ARCs) are a nationwide 7+7 year investment equivalent to $1 million per year per million of population. ARCs are embedded within nationally networked regional healthcare quality improvement systems (Academic Health Service Networks or AHSNs) to provide the full range of expertise needed to translate research into practice. Impact has been rapid. For example, the West Midlands ARC Maternity Services research theme has led nationwide improvements in care.
Example 2: Platform investment in frontline clinician researchers to equitably increase patient participation in clinical research
Between 2001 and 2010 UK’s National Cancer Research Network secured an over four-fold increase from 3.75% to 17% in the enrolment of new cancer patients into clinical trials and other well-designed clinical research – at that time the highest national rate world-wide. This was achieved by a commitment to government investment spent evenly across the country via a platform of frontline clinician researchers embedded in healthcare. About five FTE posts per million of population were funded in and deployed by local cancer research networks, with a small national central co-ordination team established. Currently, an equivalent investment across Australia would require approximately $20 million per year.
Example 3: Platform investment in real-time, nation-wide, high-fidelity patient data sharing and analysis to drive research and translation into improved care
The Singapore Integrated Diabetic Retinopathy Programme (2010) was a 12-year research and translation platform investment by the Singapore Government to link in real-time digital retinal images from all of the nation’s 23 polyclinics to the Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC). By 2022, around 150,000 images per year were read by SNEC technicians specially trained to detect the earliest signs of diabetic retinopathy, with a cost saving of S$144 per patient over the traditional family physician model. Recently, Artificial Intelligence has enhanced early detection of diabetic retinopathy, establishing the world’s first nation-wide AI-driven disease screening system that is critically dependent upon previous investment in the data-sharing platform.
Example 4: Platform investment to coordinate and strengthen health and medical research in priority populations
In 2018, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and medical research leaders across AHRA established the AHRA Indigenous Research Network (IRNet). At the national IRNet Showcase event held in Sydney in October 2022, ‘Our Collaborations in Health Research (OCHRe)’ – a culturally secure and inclusive network of Indigenous researchers, funded by the NHMRC ($10 million platform investment over 5 years) – was launched. OCHRe continues to thrive with the key to success being Indigenous leadership and committed funding. For more information, see AHRA’s web page.
View this article as it originally appeared on the AHRA website.