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Research

The Centre for Health Economics (CHE) comprises one of the largest independent groups of health economists in Australia, and is recognised as one of the leading centres of excellence in health economic research and teaching both in Australia and overseas. It has an established track record of publication of original research in health economics, and has made a significant contribution to debate and policy development in the Australian healthcare sector.

Research remains a major objective of the CHE and can initially be categorized by fund source into NHMRC and ARC grants, and contract research.

The Centre has developed an impressive portfolio of achievements in health economics research. These include:

  • pioneering work on the measurement of social values including the construction the Assessment of Quality of Life instrument;
  • the development and application of research methods for priority setting in health care;
  • significant contributions to public policy in the areas of hospital funding, health insurance and health technology assessment;
  • a major role in the development of policy and practice of economic evaluation of health services through work with the Pharmaceutical Benefits and Medical Services Advisory Committees;
  • efficiency and performance measurement in health care organisations;
  • international recognition of work with invitations to staff from overseas organisations (including WHO, OECD, Harvard and Stanford Universities).

Research Areas

The following list of CHE's current research best illustrates its broad areas of interest and research expertise.

Social Objectives and Utility Measurement

AQoL, VisQoL & PsyQoL

Empirical ethics

Public opinion and health

Inequality/equity

Improving and Informing Decision Making

Economic evaluation

Priority setting

Costing health services

Health Systems

Health services reform

Funding mechanisms

Modelling supply and demand

Production of health care

Econometric evaluation

Population Health

 

Supervisors for Higher Degrees by Research (HDR)

The Centre for Health Economics offers enrolment opportunities in both the PhD program and the MPhil program. Areas of Specialisation by supervisor are:

Professor Jeff Richardson (PhD and MPhil)

  • The Theory of Cost Utility Analysis
  • Measurement for Economic Evaluation
  • Social Objectives
  • Health Systems and Health Insurance

Associate Professor Bruce Hollingsworth (PhD and MPhil)

Associate Professor Anthony Harris

  • Economic evaluation
  • Economics of the pharmaceutical industry
Ms Jenny Watts (MPhil)
  • Hospital Efficiency and Hospital Funding Policy
  • Healthcare Technology, Impact on Efficiency and Expenditure
  • Hospital Case Level Data Analysis