CREST services
CREST partners with the Cancer Cooperative Trials Groups (CTGs) to understand their health economics needs and priorities. We aim to strengthen the role of health economics in cancer clinical trials, helping researchers generate meaningful evidence that can inform healthcare decision-making and ultimately improve cancer care.
By working closely with CTGs and their members, we can identify where health economics expertise can add value and tailor our support to the research being developed. Our services are flexible and responsive, evolving with developments in health economics to keep our support relevant and useful.
We encourage researchers to engage with CREST early in the development of research concepts and clinical trials. Early health economics input can help identify important economic questions and consider the methods and data that may be needed to support a future economic evaluation.
Our services focus on three key areas:
- Expert advice and support
- Training and capacity building
- Resources
We recognise that every CTG and research project is different. If you have a specific health economics advice or support need, contact the CREST team to discuss how we can work with you.
Expert advice and support
We provide expert health economics advice to support CTG members during the development of research concepts, studies and clinical trial protocols. We work with clinicians, researchers and consumers to strengthen the health economics components of their proposed research and ensure key considerations are addressed during study development.
We offer the following:
- Identifying opportunities to incorporate health economics into research concepts
- Providing health economics input into CTG Concept Development Workshops (CDWs)
- Reviewing study designs and proposed approaches from a health economics perspective
- Advising on appropriate economic evaluation and modelling approaches
- Reviewing clinical trial protocols to identify and strengthen health economics components
- Reviewing proposed data collection requirements to identify information needed to support future economic evaluation
- Reviewing and supporting grant submissions, including health economics components and proposed methods
- Advising on the appraisal of healthcare interventions and health economics evidence
- Participating in CTG Scientific Advisory Committees (SACs), by invitation
Training and capacity building
We support the development of health economics understanding and capability across the CTG network. Our training activities give CTG members and researchers the opportunity to learn from and be guided by trained health economists, building their knowledge of health economics and its application to cancer clinical trials research.
Training and capacity-building opportunities include:
- Introductory and advanced health economics workshops
- Seminars, webinars and other educational activities
- Tailored training and activities developed in response to CTG needs, including bespoke workshops, presentations and co-facilitated events
- Structured Training Opportunity, providing one-to-one mentoring from a health economist for an approved project
Resources
We develop practical resources to make health economics information more accessible and useful to CTG members and researchers. Our resources support self-directed learning, providing access to practical information and guidance when you need it. They can help build knowledge of key health economics concepts and their application to cancer clinical trials research.
Resources may include:
- Factsheets and educational materials
- Training and workshop resources
- Workshop videos and webinar recordings
- Health economics frameworks and research publications
- CREST newsletter