Cancer data and health information
The VICS are provided with statewide cancer data to drive our cancer service improvement work and quality and performance monitoring in collaboration with our stakeholders.
This includes access to the latest data from the Victorian Admitted Episode Data (VAED) and the Victorian Cancer Registry (VCR) datasets.
The VICS data teams, subject to resourcing:
- provide periodic service activity reports for executive and cancer service teams
- provide custom reports (as one-off requests or as part of regular reporting) developed through a requirements-gathering consultation process with health service and VICS staff
- provide consultation and support for developing new data collection tools (such as database or survey design) based on output-focused design methods
- analyse, interpret, monitor, and communicate data
- translate available data sources into meaningful, data-driven decision-making, insights, change, and improvements
- facilitate collaboration between health services, the VICS, and consumers that supports equitable cancer service improvement and optimal care for patients.
Conditions of access and release
Under each ICS’ memorandum of understanding with its member services and our Conditions of Access and Release agreements with the data custodians, we can use data to support our members with:
- cancer service and quality improvement activities
- de-identified analyses across member health services, by ICS region
- high-level and de-identified statewide analyses.
The VICS cannot provide data to support research studies/projects. To access linked health data for research purposes, follow the process on the Department of Health’s Centre for Victorian Data Linkage website. Advice and support for researchers planning a cancer research project, to help you access and analyse data, is also available from the VCCC Alliance Data Connect team.
HRICS member services should also note that all admitted patient activity is not captured in the VAED for health services in New South Wales, so only limited data can be provided for the HRICS cross-border region.
BSWRICS also manages a regional dataset called the Evaluation of Cancer Outcomes Barwon South West Registry that records outcomes, patterns of care, and quality of care for all patients diagnosed in the Barwon South West region.
Request process
If you work at a health service that is a member of an Integrated Cancer Service (identify your ICS here) and you would like our help with data analysis as described above, please contact your ICS.
While we endeavour to complete all requests within a timely manner, the priority we assign to your request will be governed by our current workload and the relative urgency of requests. Where possible, we will communicate estimated timelines.
The VICS use patient information for the purpose of funding, management, planning, monitoring, improvement or evaluation of health services.