“Health services research in oncology” is the topic for this year‘s SWISS BRIDGE Award. Four researchers are sharing the 500,000 Swiss franc award for their outstanding projects, aimed at improving medical care for cancer patients.

The awardees are: Prof. Christine Bouchardy, MD, University of Geneva; PD Sibil Tschudin, MD, Basel University Hospital; Prof. Lisa Licitra, MD, IRCCS Foundation National Cancer Institute, Medical Oncology, Milan; and Heidi Götze, PhD, University of Leipzig.

It’s already the 13th time the SWISS BRIDGE Foundation has presented this research award, known by the same name. Four scientists are being honoured this year for their excellent projects in the field of oncology health services research. The focus of the four research projects is on the best possible and appropriate treatment and care of cancer patients – with regard to patients’ long-term health and quality of life, as well as from the viewpoint of healthcare economics.
 

Four award winners from Switzerland, Germany and Italy

The SWISS BRIDGE Award 2013 is being presented this evening in Zurich by the president of the Scientific Jury, Prof. Gordon McVie, MD, of the European Institute of Oncology in Milan. Four researchers from Switzerland, Germany and Italy are sharing the award as follows:

- Prof. Christine Bouchardy, MD, Head of the Geneva Cancer Registry, Institute for Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Geneva: 150,000 Swiss francs;

- Prof. Lisa Licitra, MD, Chief of Head and Neck Cancer Medical Oncology Unit, IRCCS Foundation National Cancer Institute, Medical Oncology, Milan: 125,000 Swiss francs;

- Heide Götze, PhD, Department of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University of Leipzig: 125,000 Swiss francs;

- PD Sibil Tschudin, MD, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Gynecological Social Medicine and Psychosomatics, Basel University Hospital: 100,000 Swiss francs.
 

Better patient care through health services research

All four award winning projects are aimed at improving existing medical practices through therapy and care for cancer patients. The epidemiologist Christine Bouchardy examines the impact on surgeon’s caseload, meaning the annual number of breast cancer patients who are operated on, on the quality of care and the prognosis of the treated women. The aim of Sibil Tschudin’s work is the evaluation of an online tool as a decision-making aid for young cancer patients and in the decision-making process on fertility preservation measures.

Lisa Licitra verifies which strategy is most suitable in the long-term follow-up of successfully treated patients with head and neck cancer, with regard to their health as well as from an economic perspective. Heide Götze devotes her work to long-term survivors. She explores the long-term effects and the needs of approximately 400 former cancer patients who completed therapy 10 years ago.

A total of 27 projects were submitted by researchers who are working at academic cancer research institutes in Europe. A scientific jury, which includes nine experts from Switzerland and four other countries, was responsible for the expert assessment and reviewing process. Following this examination, eight applicants could develop individual, detailed project studies from which, ultimately, the four named winners have been chosen. Once again the Research Funding department of the Swiss Cancer League was responsible for the request for proposals and organization of the application review process.

Source: Swiss Bridge