Dr Monica Green

Research Officer

Qualifications:

PhD in Health Services Research/Public Health, Charles Darwin University, 2021
Masters of Public Health, University of Queensland, 1998

Location:

Melbourne

Biography:

Dr Monica Green is a member of the cancer research team in the Wellbeing and Preventable Chronic Diseases Division at Menzies. Monica's recent research has involved collaboratively working towards systematic ways of measuring the experiences of care of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with cancer. Underpinning this research is the drive to give voice to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia, with the overall goal of contributing to improved cancer outcomes.

Monica has recently completed her PhD through Charles Darwin University, Measuring the experiences of care of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with cancer. This work focused on privileging the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with cancer regarding measurement of patients’ experiences, which is a widely used assessment of healthcare quality. After asking Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and health professionals ‘what to measure’ and ‘how to measure’ regarding cancer care, the team compared this information with existing patient experience measurement tools. Gaps were identified, particularly around cultural issues, and the team developed and tested a new approach: the Indigenous People’s Experiences of Cancer Care Survey (IPECCS). IPECCS interview participants reported many problems experienced during cancer care, and made suggestions for healthcare improvement for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Further research is necessary to improve efficient data collection and use.

This work, with other developments, can help health services to deliver high quality, culturally safe healthcare, in a way that is informed by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.