Hutchinson Institute for Cancer Outcomes Research

We examine how patterns of care, including screening and treatment for specific diseases, affect patient outcomes and how we can improve outcomes by making interventions more effective. Our studies span many disease areas — including colorectal, lung, prostate and breast cancer — and focus on factors that include health care system characteristics, patient experience, treatment type and medical technologies used.

We look at what happens in patient care compared with what guidelines recommend — and what leads to care that does not align with established standards. We also investigate challenges and barriers experienced by minority populations in access to quality care and how these contribute to disparities in cancer incidence and mortality.

To understand and reduce the financial burden on cancer patients, we study cancer diagnosis as a risk factor for personal bankruptcy, develop financial navigation tools for patients and caregivers, and examine the role of financial stress on cancer survival, among other areas of investigation.

The rising cost of cancer care affects patients, providers and the health system as a whole. We investigate the value of new treatments and technologies for certain cancers based on the total cost of care and the benefits to patients, which may include fewer side effects, better quality of life and longer survival.