Team MembersThe Principal Investigator and Team Lead is Eva Grunfeld, MD, DPhil, CCFP, FCFP, Director of the Cancer Outcomes Research Program, Cancer Care Nova Scotia, Professor and Clinician Scientist, Division of Medical Oncology, Dalhousie University (DAL), and Active Staff, QEII Health Sciences Centre.

Principal Investigators:

• Chris Blanchard, Professor, Division of Cardiology, DAL
• Fred Burge, MD, FCFP, MSc, Professor and Senior Clinical Research Scholar, Departments of Family Medicine and Community Health and Epidemiology, DAL, and Active Staff, Family Medicine and Palliative Care, QEII Health Sciences Centre
• Grace Johnston, Professor, School of Health Services Administration, DAL and Senior Epidemiologist, Surveillance and Epidemiology Unit, Cancer Care Nova Scotia
• George Kephart, Professor, Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, DAL 
• Steve Kisely, Professor, School of Medicine, Griffith University, Meadowbrook, Australia
• Louise Parker, Professor, Departments of Pediatrics and Community Health and Epidemiology, DAL 
• Geoff Porter, Head, Cancer Care Program, QEII Health Sciences Centre, Active Staff, QEII Health Sciences Centre, Professor, Department of Surgery, DAL 
• Daniel Rayson, Active Staff, QEII Health Sciences Centre and Professor, Division of Medical Oncology, DAL
• Sander van Zanten, Director, Division of Gastroenterology, University of Alberta

Co-Investigators:

• Yukiko Asada , PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, DAL
• Dorothy Barnard, MHSA, MD, FRCPC, PhD candidate, Associate Professor, Division of Pediatric Hematology, DAL (Trainee)
• Bruce Colwell, Active Staff, QEII Health Sciences Centre and  Professor, Division of Medical Oncology, DAL (Trainee)
• Slawa Cwajna, Active Staff, QEII Health Sciences Centre, and Lecturer, Department of Radiation Oncology, DAL (Trainee)
• Ron Dewar, MSc, Epidemiologist, Surveillance and Epidemiology Unit, Cancer Care Nova Scotia
• Amy Folkes, Project Coordinator, Cancer Outcomes Research Program, Cancer Care Nova Scotia (Trainee)
• Fergall Magee, Professor, Department of Pathology, DAL (Trainee)
• Dorianne Rheaume, Active Staff, QEII Health Sciences Centre, and Professor, Department of Radiation Oncology, DAL (Trainee)
• Robin Urquhart, MSc, Project Coordinator and Knowledge Broker, Cancer Outcomes Research Program, Cancer Care Nova Scotia, (Trainee)

Collaborators:

• Craig Earle, MD, MSc, FRCPC, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Associate Professor, Department of Health Policy and Management, Harvard School of Public Health
• Maureen MacIntyre, Manager, Surveillance and Epidemiology Unit, Cancer Care Nova Scotia 
• Lynn Edwards, Director, Acute and Tertiary Care, Department of Health
• Maureen Summers, Executive Director, Canadian Cancer Society – Nova Scotia Division
• Theresa Marie Underhill, Chief Operating Officer, Cancer Care Nova Scotia

Methodological ApproachThe methods for all of our pilot studies fall into two categories: (i) retrospective cohort studies using linked administrative health databases to measure and monitor access, quality and outcomes; and (ii) use of knowledge translation techniques to improve quality.

The retrospective cohort studies use population-based cohorts identified through the Nova Scotia Cancer Registry to examine patients’ progression along the cancer care continuum. All of the studies examine the influence of disease characteristics, patient characteristics (e.g., age, socioeconomic status, sex), rurality or other geographical factors, provider characteristics, and system capacities on the access and quality measure being studied.