Research underused by healthcare, study warns

Australia is lagging in integrating trials and innovation in health sector

The Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences has called for health research to be better embedded in Australia’s health system.

Issues identified by the academy in a report released on 13 October include a lack of attention paid to research findings, the underuse of clinical trials, and problems with data infrastructure. The report, written by a group led by Christina Mitchell, dean of medicine at Monash University, found that not only are research outcomes underused in healthcare, but also too little research is undertaken.