The Four Pillars of Research
In 1994, POGO identified the need for a research agenda addressing under-emphasized but important areas of investigation not typically funded by traditional funding agencies. In 1996, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care endorsed the creation of the PRU to meet that agenda. At that time, four pillars of research were identified as the appropriate foci of PRU activity and remain relevant today.
The four pillars of the POGO Research Unit are:
- Epidemiology
- Health Services Research
- Economics
- Survivor Status/Quality of Life
Epidemiology
- Epidemiology, including environmental and molecular interactions, especially relating to those cancers of changing incidence in childhood (e.g. malignant lymphomas and brain tumors)
- Disease distribution by cluster analysis
- Trends analysis and projections, notably in regard to the anticipated increment in incidence and projections of resource utilization
- Disease, treatment, sociological, and system determinants of clinical outcome (e.g. time to diagnosis).
Health Services Research
Including but not limited to:
- Evaluation of innovative developments and determinants of success in health care delivery (e.g. "shared care”)
- Evaluation of practice guidelines
- Studies of knowledge transfer – from science into care delivery and policy, and from the professional to the public realms
- Study of the application of new technologies to childhood cancer care.
Economics
Including but not limited to:
- Investigation of existing methodologies for estimation of costs attributed to childhood cancer, and development and application of new measures
- Study of cost, cost effectiveness, and cost benefit of differing forms of therapy for similar diseases
- Studies of economic burden of illness on children and families
- Comparison of costs of programs delivered in different settings (e.g. inpatient, outpatient, and community)
Status of Survivors/Quality of Life
- Investigation of short and long-term health outcomes
- Measurement of health status and health-related quality of life during and after therapy
- Identification and study of interventions intended to alter long-term health status including preventive strategies and health promotion interventions
- Assessment of family coping and survivors’ late effects
- Measurement of health status and health-related quality of life during and after therapy.
