Monash University > Business and Economics > Centres > Centre for Health Economics > Staff

Associate Professor Duncan Mortimer

Position: Acting Deputy Director and Senior Research Fellow

Profile: Duncan has academic qualifications in economics and psychology from the University of Adelaide and in health economics from Monash University. Prior to his appointment to the Monash Centre for Health Economics (CHE), Duncan held positions as research associate in health economics at the University of East Anglia, and senior research fellow in health economics at the Monash Institute for Health Services Research.

Duncan brings to CHE more than ten years experience conducting applied health economics research and economic evaluation. His past research work includes development of a micro-economic model of drug-resistant malaria for the World Health Organization, preparation of commentaries on new applications to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee, and econometric modelling of pricing in the market for GP services. Findings from Duncan's work have been cited in Hansard and in policy documents such as the recent NHHRC report: A Healthier Future for All Australians. Findings from Duncan's research (see Mortimer & Kelly, 2006) have influenced health policy internationally.

Duncan's current research includes trial-based and modelled economic evaluations alongside the IMPLEMENT, ALIGN, IRIS and SHiQ trials; theoretical and empirical research regarding the distribution and allocation of health care funding; theoretical and empirical research regarding the determinants of access and pricing for pharmaceuticals. In addition to his diverse programme of research, Duncan also coordinates the Evaluation Discussion Group (EDGR); a cross-institutional forum to facilitate peer-to-peer learning and publication for early-career researchers in the area of economic evaluation. In the coming year, EDGR's programme will include sessions on economic evaluation in a developing country context; economic evaluation to inform disinvestment; and outcomes measurement for economic evaluation. Please email Duncan if you would like to be added to the EDGR distribution list.

Current National Competitive Grants

Harris T, Mortimer D, McGuire A. Bargaining and the price of new pharmaceuticals in Australia: An empirical analysis. Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Grant DP1095691, 2010-2012: $115,000.

Pierce R, et al. Optimising Sleep in Quadriplegia: Mechanisms and Management. Victoria Neurotrauma Initiative Program Grant, 2009-2013: $5 million.

Green S, Browning C, Workman B, O'Connor D, Harris C, McKenzie J, Mortimer D. Evidence-based care of people with dementia. National Health and Medical Research Council Dementia Research Grant 491104, 2008-2010 (extended): $1,051,265.

Green S, McKenzie J, Grimshaw J, Mortimer D, Keating J, Walker B. Improving the care of people with acute low back pain by allied health professionals: a cluster randomised controlled trial. National Health and Medical Research Council Project Grant 436767, 2007-2009 (extended): $653,688.

Recent Journal Articles:

Mortimer D. (2010). Reorienting PBMA towards disinvestment. BMC Health Services Research, 10: 288.

Segal L, Dalziel K, Mortimer D. (2010). Fixing the game: Are between-silo differences in funding arrangements handicapping some interventions and giving others a head-start? Health Economics, 19(4):449-65.

McKenzie J, O'Connor D, Page M, Mortimer D, French S, Walker B, Keating J, Grimshaw J, Michie S, Francis J, Green S. (2010). Improving the care for people with acute low-back pain by allied health professionals (the ALIGN trial): cluster randomised trial protocol. Implementation Science, 5: 86.

Mortimer D, Segal L, Sturm J (2009). Can we derive an ‘exchange rate' between descriptive and preference-based outcome measures for stroke? Results from the transfer to utility (TTU) technique. Health & Quality of Life Outcomes, 7:33.

Harris A, Mortimer D. (2009). Funding illness prevention and health promotion in Australia: A way forward. Australia and New Zealand Health Policy, 6:25.

Hawthorne G, Densley K, Pallant J, Mortimer D, Segal L. (2008). Deriving utility scores from the SF-36 using ordinal Rasch analysis. Quality of Life Research, 17(9): 1183-1193.

Mortimer D. (2008). Modelling downstream effects in the presence of technological change. Pharmacoeconomics, 26: 991-1003.

Mortimer D, Segal L. (2008). Is the value of a life-year saved context specific? Further evidence from a discrete choice experiment. Cost Effectiveness and Resource Allocation, 6:8.

Mortimer D, Segal L (2008). Comparing the incomparable? A systematic review of competing techniques for mapping one health outcome measure into another. Medical Decision Making, 28(1): 66-89.

Dalziel K, Segal L, Mortimer D. (2008). Review of Australian Economic Evaluation in Health - 245 interventions: What can we say about cost-effectiveness? Cost Effectiveness and Resource Allocation, 6:9.

Mortimer D, French S, McKenzie J, O'Connor D, Green S on behalf of the IMPLEMENT study group (2008). Protocol for economic evaluation alongside the IMPLEMENT cluster randomised controlled trial [ACTRN012606000098538]. Implementation Science, 3:12.

McKenzie JE, French SD, O'Connor DA, Grimshaw JM, Mortimer D, Michie S, Francis J, Spike N, Schattner P, Kent P, Buchbinder R, Green SE. (2008). IMPlementing a clinical practice guideline for acute Lower back pain Evidence based manageMENT in general practice (IMPLEMENT): cluster randomised controlled trial study protocol [ACTRN012606000098538]. Implementation Science, 3:11.

Hollingsworth BA, Harris A, Mortimer D. (2007). The cost-effectiveness of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Journal of Assisted Reproduction & Genetics, 24(12):571-577.

Mortimer D, Segal L, Hawthorne G, Harris A. (2007). Item-based versus scale-based mappings from the SF36 to a preference-based quality of life measure. Value in Health, 10(5): 398-407.

Mortimer D. (2006). The value of thinly-spread QALYs. Pharmacoeconomics, 24(9): 845-853.

Mortimer D, Kelly J. (2006). Economic evaluation of the Good Life Club intervention for diabetes self-management. Australian Journal of Primary Health, 12(1): 92-101.

Richardson J, Peacock S, Mortimer D. (2006). Does an increase in the Doctor Supply Reduce Medical Fees? An Econometric Analysis of Medical Fees across Australia. Applied Economics, 38(3), 253-266.

Mortimer D, Segal L. (2006). Economic evaluation of interventions for problem drinking and alcohol dependence: Do within-family external effects make a difference? Alcohol & Alcoholism, 41(1): 92-98.

Segal L, Mortimer D. (2006). A population-based model for priority setting across the care continuum and across modalities. Cost Effectiveness and Resource Allocation, 4: 6.

Mortimer D, French S. (2006). Can dissenting findings with respect to the comparative effectiveness of ICSI and IVF be explained by a learning curve? Journal of Assisted Reproduction & Genetics, 23(1): 33-36.

Mortimer D, Segal L.. (2005). Economic evaluation of interventions for problem drinking and alcohol dependence: Cost per QALY estimates. Alcohol & Alcoholism, 40(6): 549-555.

Mortimer D. (2005). On the relevance of personal characteristics in setting health priorities: A comment on Olsen, Richardson, Dolan & Menzel (2003). Social Science & Medicine, 60(8): 1661-1664.

Recent Conference/Workshop Papers:

Mortimer D, Harris T, Gallego G. Disinvestment Policy & Practice. Organised Session at the 8th European Conference on Health Economics (ECHE). Helsinki, Finland: 9th July 2010.

Harris T, Mortimer D. Bargaining for pharmaceuticals in Australia: Would disinvestment increase prices of drugs? Presented at the 8th European Conference on Health Economics (ECHE). Helsinki, Finland: 9th July 2010.

Mortimer D. Reorienting PBMA towards disinvestment. Presented at the 8th European Conference on Health Economics (ECHE). Helsinki, Finland: 9th July 2010.

Mortimer D. Health economics perspectives on disinvestment. Invited presentation to the National Workshop on Disinvestment, Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, Melbourne, Australia: 27^th August 2009.

Mortimer D, Segal L. Response mapping for transforming SF36 data into utility scores. Presented to the 7^th World Congress of the International Health Economics Association (iHEA). Beijing, China: 15th July 2009.

Harris A, Mortimer D. Directing Investment in Prevention: PrePAC and PreBS. Invited presentation to the Royal Australian College of Public Health Physicians, Sydney, Australia: 20^th May 2009.

Mortimer D, Segal L. Life is cheap in the health sector: A comparison of stated-preference estimates of the value of health and non-health interventions. Invited presentation to the 1^st International Workshop on Value in Health, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, England: 27^th October 2008.