Understanding the benefits for health organisations

Today’s children face an increasing burden from complex health and development problems, such as mental illness, obesity, autism, learning difficulties and allergies.

Additionally, many parents experience issues such as diabetes, and heart and kidney problems.

Our ability to address these challenges using conventional approaches to research and problem-solving is failing to progress at the rate we need. It can take many years before information from research projects is analysed and outputs are implemented.

Visibility of long-term patient outcomes to shape a healthier future

At present, hospitals do not have a mechanism to understand the health and wellbeing of patients once they leave the hospital.

GenV is an opportunity for health organisations to understand long-term patient outcomes and to be part of shaping the future health and wellbeing of Victorian children and the adults they will become.

GenV establishes the building-blocks to predict, prevent and treat problems with greater speed and precision than is possible today, creating the environment for new approaches to data-led policy and strategy development.

Led from the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, supported by the Royal Children’s Hospital, University of Melbourne,  and Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation, and funded by the Paul Ramsay Foundation (PRF), the Victorian Government , and the Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation, GenV brings together researchers, service providers, policy-makers and practitioners with a solutions focus.

Accelerated discovery of solutions

GenV is backed by the data capabilities created as a result of its whole-of-state cohort of children and parents. By creating and supporting partnerships between research, service and policy, GenV will accelerate the discovery of solutions to the health and wellbeing problems facing children and families across our community.

GenV seeks to leverage existing infrastructure and resources to inform the growth and development of our health system and beyond.

Unlocking new insights will ensure that together we can meet the evolving challenges we face in supporting Victoria’s children and families.

With an initial focus on maternity, GenV will connect information and bio-samples already held by other agencies and services. This information will be complemented with new data not currently routinely collected to give us a holistic picture of the health and development of an entire generation of children and parents.

We aim to utilise bio-samples routinely collected at multiple time points during pregnancy, using leftover samples and existing processes across the state to enable future research into how pregnancy exposures can influence child development and future health, filling a major gap in current research.

Being part of GenV is an exciting opportunity for Victorians from all backgrounds to be part of a project for the public good, shaping the health and wellbeing of future generations.

For health and community services caring for families, your support to help us reach every eligible family is greatly appreciated. The more families who you see that participate, the more valuable it will be for services like yours. Over time, GenV can help services understand the long-term outcomes of the types of families you work with.