Poster Presentation 2025 Joint Meeting of the COSA ASM and IPOS Congress

Regional Hospital Representation in National Cancer Registries and Identifying Barriers to Participation: A Mixed-Methods Study (126602)

Jonathon Chi 1 , Sanuki Tissera 2 , Sachin Joshi 3 , Hieu Chau 3 , Evangeline Samuel 2 3
  1. Medical Student , Monash University , Melbourne , Australia
  2. School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine , Monash University , Melbourne
  3. Latrobe Regional Hospital, Traralgon , VIC, Australia

Project Title:
Assessing Regional Hospital Representation in National Cancer Registries and Identifying Barriers to Participation: A Mixed-Methods Study

Background and Rationale
Cancer registries are essential for understanding disease trends, planning services, and evaluating outcomes. However, under-representation of regional hospitals may limit the accuracy and generalisability of registry-based research. Preliminary reviews and stakeholder input suggest that systemic, resource, and administrative barriers contribute to lower participation from regional sites. This study aims to explore representation and identify barriers to inform strategies that improve inclusivity and data quality.

Aim
To assess regional hospital participation in national cancer registries and identify key barriers to involvement.

Methods
This mixed-methods study includes two phases:

  • Phase 1: Quantitative Audit
    A retrospective audit is being conducted to examine regional hospital participation in national cancer registries in Victoria. Data sources include registry annual reports, publications, and publicly available websites.
  • Phase 2: Qualitative Survey
    An anonymised online survey is being distributed to stakeholders across regional hospitals in Victoria, including clinicians, cancer care coordinators, data managers, and executives. The survey includes structured and open-ended questions on participation barriers and system-level challenges.

Ethics approval for this low-risk study has been granted by the Latrobe Regional Hospital Human Research Ethics Committee.

Results
Data collection and analysis for both phases are currently underway. Full results will be available shortly and reported in the final study output.

Conclusion
This study will provide insight into regional representation in cancer registries and barriers to participation. Findings will support the development of evidence-based strategies to enhance regional inclusion and improve the completeness and equity of cancer data collection in Victoria