Mis-reporting, adaptation and anchoring: the implications for self assessed health. In terms of targeting scarce public health resources, information concerning the true health status of different social groups is important. This project will provide more accurate information on the health of the Australian population using data already collected on a routine basis. Resources can then be targeted to reduce health inequalities.
Rural General Practitioners in Australia: Costs, Returns and Relative Work Value of Rural Compared with Urban Private General Practitioners. Aims:
* To conduct a rurally focused study of GPs in Australia, to address rural GPs' concerns about remuneration, and consumers' concerns about access to rural GPs.
* To examine costs, prices, returns and work value differentials between rural and urban GPs.
Significance:
* The first systematic economic evaluation of rural GP remuneration and work valu ....Rural General Practitioners in Australia: Costs, Returns and Relative Work Value of Rural Compared with Urban Private General Practitioners. Aims:
* To conduct a rurally focused study of GPs in Australia, to address rural GPs' concerns about remuneration, and consumers' concerns about access to rural GPs.
* To examine costs, prices, returns and work value differentials between rural and urban GPs.
Significance:
* The first systematic economic evaluation of rural GP remuneration and work value in Australia.
* Reflection of the profession's geographical heterogeneity in policy recommendations.
Expected outcomes:
* Improved measurements of effects of geographcial location on costs, remuneration and relative work value of rural GPs.
* Improved understanding of effects of differential rates of GP bulk-billing.Read moreRead less
The Distributional Impact of Health Outlays: Developing the Research and Modelling Infrastructure for Policy Makers. The Commonwealth recently concluded that the projected increase in health outlays over the next few decades is unaffordable. Policy makers are therefore going to face difficult decisions about health funding, the balance between government and consumer contributions to health costs, and about taxes (which fund public health outlays). They do not currently have adequate modelling t ....The Distributional Impact of Health Outlays: Developing the Research and Modelling Infrastructure for Policy Makers. The Commonwealth recently concluded that the projected increase in health outlays over the next few decades is unaffordable. Policy makers are therefore going to face difficult decisions about health funding, the balance between government and consumer contributions to health costs, and about taxes (which fund public health outlays). They do not currently have adequate modelling tools to help them make sound decisions. This project aims to redress this situation, by constructing a microsimulation model of the health sector, with a capacity to assess the likely distributional impact of possible policy changes and their revenue or expenditure implications.Read moreRead less
A comparison of housing wealth and the welfare behaviour of Australians and Britons. This comparison of housing wealth as a cushion against adverse life course events in Australia and the UK will improve understanding of how government interventions impede or promote homeowner ability to unlock housing equity to meet welfare needs and uncover types of events precipitating housing equity withdrawal, and the ways this helps or hinders wellbeing in subsequent years of a household's life course. Giv ....A comparison of housing wealth and the welfare behaviour of Australians and Britons. This comparison of housing wealth as a cushion against adverse life course events in Australia and the UK will improve understanding of how government interventions impede or promote homeowner ability to unlock housing equity to meet welfare needs and uncover types of events precipitating housing equity withdrawal, and the ways this helps or hinders wellbeing in subsequent years of a household's life course. Given the paucity of knowledge about consequences of housing equity withdrawal, anticipated national benefits of this research include greater appreciation of sensible and sustainable use of housing equity withdrawal and sound management of the accompanying debt. Outcomes will impact positively on the priority area, Ageing Well, Ageing Productively.Read moreRead less
The high cost of financial insecurity: exploring the role of the 'fringe economy' in the lives of low-income Australians. The national benefit from this research has a number of dimensions. The first is to draw the community's attention to the high costs and charges associated with fringe lenders in Australia and the economic and social consequences of accessing these services. The second benefit relates to establishing what sorts of financial products and regulatory measures would offer low-inc ....The high cost of financial insecurity: exploring the role of the 'fringe economy' in the lives of low-income Australians. The national benefit from this research has a number of dimensions. The first is to draw the community's attention to the high costs and charges associated with fringe lenders in Australia and the economic and social consequences of accessing these services. The second benefit relates to establishing what sorts of financial products and regulatory measures would offer low-income Australians a better outcome. A number of states in Australia have recently introduced legislation to limit the interest rates charged by pay-day lenders. The study is very timely in that it offers an opportunity to monitor the impact of these new regulatory measures and consider opportunities for further reform.Read moreRead less
Alcohol’s harm to others: patterns, costs, disparities and precipitants. This project aims to generate understanding of the magnitude, character, economic burden, disparities and precipitants of occurrence of alcohol’s harm to others across Australia, using a national survey, crime, community services and health data and qualitative interviews. The project outcome will be a robust current evidence base for our partners, government and Australian society to underpin advocacy, policy and planning, ....Alcohol’s harm to others: patterns, costs, disparities and precipitants. This project aims to generate understanding of the magnitude, character, economic burden, disparities and precipitants of occurrence of alcohol’s harm to others across Australia, using a national survey, crime, community services and health data and qualitative interviews. The project outcome will be a robust current evidence base for our partners, government and Australian society to underpin advocacy, policy and planning, aimed at reducing alcohol-related harm and suffering.Read moreRead less
Public Wi-Fi as Urban Infrastructure - the Australian Case. This research positions publicly provided Wi-Fi as a type of urban and civic infrastructure and asks whether there is a sound case for public investment in public Wi-Fi by local governments. Australia lags behind much of the world in providing public wireless internet access, but a surge of investment is closing the gap. This field-based research aims to appraise rationales for public Wi-Fi provision by examining the social, economic an ....Public Wi-Fi as Urban Infrastructure - the Australian Case. This research positions publicly provided Wi-Fi as a type of urban and civic infrastructure and asks whether there is a sound case for public investment in public Wi-Fi by local governments. Australia lags behind much of the world in providing public wireless internet access, but a surge of investment is closing the gap. This field-based research aims to appraise rationales for public Wi-Fi provision by examining the social, economic and civic impacts of network use. This project aims to fill major empirical and knowledge gaps about investment rationales, uses, and impacts of public Wi-Fi networks, and inform development of urban and communications policies.Read moreRead less
A ten-year comparative analysis of work, benefit and skill trajectories of parallel cohorts of trade and bachelor graduates' working lives. The identification and understanding of the job, skill and benefit trajectories experienced by young skilled workers will contribute to the development of improved national workforce policies. Employers could develop more effective recruitment, retention and training practices for different types of upwardly mobile skilled workers. Governments could improve ....A ten-year comparative analysis of work, benefit and skill trajectories of parallel cohorts of trade and bachelor graduates' working lives. The identification and understanding of the job, skill and benefit trajectories experienced by young skilled workers will contribute to the development of improved national workforce policies. Employers could develop more effective recruitment, retention and training practices for different types of upwardly mobile skilled workers. Governments could improve policies to maintain and extend skilled workers, promote needed skilled trade and degree pathways to youth and develop more effective life long learning strategies for adults. Identifying the social reasons for job and skill change will also assist governments, employers and individuals to develop new educational approaches to improve recruitment, skill retention and market expansion. Read moreRead less
Determining the Impact of Social Protection Policy on Work Disability. . This project will develop new knowledge on the impact of social protection policy and process on work disability. The mixed methods project uses data linkage, epidemiological and qualitative methods to study the impact of policy change on access to the Disability Support Pension (DSP), the experiences of DSP applicants and recipients, and to examine the transition of people with long-term work disability between workers’ co ....Determining the Impact of Social Protection Policy on Work Disability. . This project will develop new knowledge on the impact of social protection policy and process on work disability. The mixed methods project uses data linkage, epidemiological and qualitative methods to study the impact of policy change on access to the Disability Support Pension (DSP), the experiences of DSP applicants and recipients, and to examine the transition of people with long-term work disability between workers’ compensation and social security systems. Through multi-disciplinary and cross-sector collaborations established, it is anticipated that the Fellowship will inform future social policy development and service delivery, and develop capacity to evaluate social protection programs and policy shifts as they occur. Read moreRead less
Health insurance design: choices, consumer behavior and policy challenges . Rising health costs is a global challenge. Creating an efficient health insurance system is a key policy concern in all developed countries. This project aims to study choices, consumer behaviors, and policy challenges in two health insurance markets: Australian private health insurance (PHI) and US Medicare prescription drug insurance.
Expected outcomes include new evidence needed to develop a new framework for PHI, ne ....Health insurance design: choices, consumer behavior and policy challenges . Rising health costs is a global challenge. Creating an efficient health insurance system is a key policy concern in all developed countries. This project aims to study choices, consumer behaviors, and policy challenges in two health insurance markets: Australian private health insurance (PHI) and US Medicare prescription drug insurance.
Expected outcomes include new evidence needed to develop a new framework for PHI, new knowledge on how consumers respond to complex pricing structures, and new policy proposals to improve the overall efficiency of the health system. The research will benefit the re-design of PHI and the health system to improve Australians’ health while saving health costs.
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