Health economics
We facilitate a research program to help ensure individuals have the best evidence available to them in order to make the most informed decisions about their health. This includes relevant costs and health outcomes related to patient-centred experiences and outcome measures of implementing health policies and interventions, either within-trials or at the population-level.
Our expertise includes health economics, health econometrics, microsimulation, multi-criteria decision analysis, and implementation and economic evaluation. We work with researchers in a dynamic problem-solving manner, where our expertise helps to bring about the best evaluation study design.
Our multi-disciplinary research evaluates the effectiveness of health interventions and programs through an appropriate and rigorous framework. This process includes the perspective of individuals, their families and carers, the health system, and society in order to produce the best outcome.
We strive to work with researchers in a way that ensures a more personalised approach to research is undertaken, where the most relevant costs and health outcomes included in the study are those from the perspective of key stakeholders. As a result, our evaluation method takes a “one size does not fit all” view. We appreciate that a personalised approach to research is just as important as a personalised approach to healthcare.
By centring the individual, the research framework ensures the evaluation generates reliable, relevant, and interpretable results to assist with translation.
- Impact of obesity, overweight, and related conditions, and its health interventions – we quantify the effects of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke and hypertension, arthritis, and mental illness, using national surveys and health administrative data.
- Treatments for eating disorders and chronic illnesses – we evaluate the efficacy of treatments, including individual and family-based therapies.
- Impact of models of care implementation – we measure the impact of embedding new models of care and effectiveness of programs scaled up in the context of the patient, family members, carers, and health facilities.
- Cost-effectiveness of breast and ovarian cancer tests – we assess the cost-effectiveness of genetic testing for breast and ovarian cancer gene mutations at a population-level.
- Inequalities to healthcare access – we assess several factors influencing inequalities to healthcare by using established WHO methods.
- Personalisation of healthcare – we look at the efficacy and impact of online personalised decision support tools for individuals and healthcare providers.
Health economics is a crucial component of any evaluation. It is influential in local health district, health department, and other areas, such as treasury and employment, of state and Australian Government decision-making.
Our multi-disciplinary approach can produce important breakthroughs and lead significant change in both clinical practice and health policy. Health economic evaluation helps individuals make informed decisions in tricky situations.
Grants
On average, we contribute to 50 clinical studies and economic analyses, and 40 competitive grant applications each year. We have attracted $8.2 million in competitive grants (e.g. NHMRC, Department of Health (Federal)/MRFF Million Minds) and $1.7 in partnership grants and consultancies as well producing over 40 publications in the last 5 years.
Supervision and education
- We have provided supervision of a number of Masters and PhD students across a diverse range of research areas including nutrition, obesity, eating disorders, respiratory conditions, mental health
- Developed tailored health economics workshops, information sessions, presentations on a variety of areas of enquiry for strategic committees in the Sydney Local Health District and associated partners, clinical care teams (over 50 presentations in the last 12 months) and students
- Provided mentoring in health economics and related areas for academics, clinicians, health administrators and policy developers.
Internal collaborators
- Dr Michelle Cunich (Project node leader), Research Fellow in Health Economics, The Boden Collaboration
- Professor Ian Caterson, Director, The Boden Collaboration and The Charles Perkins Centre Royal Prince Alfred Clinic.
- Dr Sarah Maguire, Inside Out, Charles Perkins Centre.
- Associate Professor Stefanie Schurer, School of Economics, Faculty of Arts and Social Science
- Associate Professor Michael Skilton, The Boden Collaboration, Charles Perkins Centre
External collaborators
- Emeritus Professor Jack Dowie, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Honorary Professor in the School of Medicine and Health. Brings expertise in MCDA and online decision support systems
- Dr Mette Kjer Kaltoft, University of Southern Denmark and Honorary Research Fellow in the School of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney. Brings expertise in MCDA-based personalised decision support tools.
- Associate Professor Alison Trainer, Clinical Geneticist at PeterMac Family Cancer Clinic and The University of Melbourne. Brings expertise in health economics of genetic screening for cancers.
- Associate Professor Stephen Whelan, School of Economics, Faculty of Arts and Social Science, The University of Sydney. Brings expertise in labour economics, health workforce analysis, housing and fertility decisions, duration analysis.
- Professor Lynne Parkinson, Research Lead, Caring for Carers Project, Conjoint Associate Professor, University of Newcastle and Adjunct Professor, LEAP Centre CQUniversity Australia. Brings expertise in epidemiology, arthritis and related conditions studies, informal carers.
- Ms Hannah Storey (Performance Unit, Sydney Local Health District)
