The Impact Of Insurance On Use Of Dental Services And Oral Health
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$203,616.00
Summary
Dental problems are very common in the Australian population, and health expenditure on dental services is large. This project addresses the impact of dental insurance on use of dental services and oral health outcomes to investigate the effect of insurance on dental visit patterns and mix of dental services provided, and examine how the cost of dental care is related to outcomes such as tooth loss and quality of life.
Effectiveness, Cost-effectiveness And Equity Of Strategies To Reduce The Burden Of Obesity-related Conditions
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$46,900.00
Summary
Decision-makers need a systematic, coordinated approach to the targeting and prioritisation of preventive strategies. But the evidence base for obesity interventions is for the most part small, narrow in approach, limited in impact, and lacking in cost-effectiveness and equity information. This thesis will add to the evidence base regarding the nature of the obesity epidemic in Australia and internationally and the relative cost-effectiveness of strategies to reduce the obesity burden.
Developing A Common Outcome Measure For Priority Setting In Health: Validation Of The 'Transfer To Utility' Technique
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$314,100.00
Summary
The economic evaluation of health programs is a common requirement of funders and purchasers seeking to get the best value from the health dollar. But researchers employ a wide range of disease specific and generic health status instruments to describe trial outcomes, making comparison between diverse interventions difficult. In response to this problem a 'Transfer to Utility' or TTU technique was developed by Dr Segal and colleagues, to translate diverse outcomes reported in clinical trials, in ....The economic evaluation of health programs is a common requirement of funders and purchasers seeking to get the best value from the health dollar. But researchers employ a wide range of disease specific and generic health status instruments to describe trial outcomes, making comparison between diverse interventions difficult. In response to this problem a 'Transfer to Utility' or TTU technique was developed by Dr Segal and colleagues, to translate diverse outcomes reported in clinical trials, into a utility score, so the performance of diverse health interventions can be expressed in cost-QALY and compared. The technique establishes a statistical transformation between instruments commonly used in clinical trials and a utility value. While the technique appears highly useful, based on a priority setting exercise in osteoarthritis enabling 20 disparate interventions to be compared its validity and applicability in other contexts is not established. The purpose of the grant is to explore the TTU technique to i) establish the best method for estimating the regression equation between common health outcome measures and a utility score and validating that method; ii) test generalisability to other disease areas, for which quality of life is the primary objective of management (in stroke, drug dependence and depression), iii) develop and validate a method for translating the most commonly used measure of general health status, the SF-36, into a utility score and iv) illustrate the application of the TTU in comparing intervensions for the prevention and management of depression. The results of the research will be of value to i) decision makers who must compare the performance of medical-health care interventions across a range of diseases and modalities and ii) to clinicians who want to practice evidenced based health care. The potential health gains for the community are substantial, in supporting the redirection of resources to more effective and cost-effectiveRead moreRead less
Accountable Fertility Treatment: An Evidenced-based Framework For The Provision Of Cost-effective, Patient-centred Fertility Treatment In Australia.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$423,312.00
Summary
One in six Australian couples experience infertility. This is likely to worsen with trends such as delayed childbearing and rising obesity. Despite the use of fertility treatments doubling in Australia over the last decade there has been a lack of considered analysis of the economic implications of Medicare funding of treatments, such as IVF. This research will develop a framework that will be used by policy makers to support cost-effective and patient-centred fertility treatment in Australia.
AusGo-SHEMO….Let’s Go! Australian Gold Standard Health Economics Model Of Osteoporosis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$378,959.00
Summary
We will develop an unbiased, gold standard, validated, transparent health economics model of osteoporosis to identify cost-effective screening and treatment strategies, and that will be made widely available to all stakeholders. Without this model, scarce health care resources may be squandered on osteoporosis screening strategies and osteoporosis-related fracture prevention medications that are not cost-effective. Worse, patient access to cost-effective medications may be delayed.
Spatially Targeted Intervention For Eliminating Tuberculosis In High-burden Countries
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$645,205.00
Summary
The overall goal of my research program is to design and implement an innovative approach for eliminating TB in high-burden countries such as Ethiopia and China. My project will integrate contemporary and sophisticated analytical methods (geospatial methods, network meta-analysis and economic analysis) within a single translational research framework and provide evidence to make a substantial shift from the current paradigm of passive case detection.
Evaluating Hand Hygiene Interventions And Their Ability To Reduce Haelthcare Associated Infection
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$508,848.00
Summary
Healthcare associated infection is a major problem for Australian hospitals. One of the best ways to reduce it is to improve hand hygiene among hospital workers. The National Hand Hygiene Initiative (NHHI) is currently being implemented to improve hygiene among health care workers. This research will evaluate the NHHI and measure how well the program works, what factors are important to its success, and whether implementing the program is good value for money.
First Line Treatments For Common Musculoskeletal Conditions: Establishing Effectiveness And Cost-effectiveness
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$452,583.00
Summary
Dr Christine Lin is an outstanding young researcher whose research focuses on investigating the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness (value-for-money) of treatments for common musculoskeletal conditions. These conditions, such as back pain and fracture, are a major cause of disability in Australia and abroad. Dr Lin will lead a series of large clinical studies with an aim to improve patient outcomes while minimising the economic burden on the individual, health system and society.
The Effectiveness Of Rehabilitation And The Efficiency Of Health Service Delivery In Musculoskeletal Conditions
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$292,639.00
Summary
Musculoskeletal conditions, such as arthritis and back pain, present a huge burden to the Australian society. The purpose of this research is to establish rehabilitation programs that are effective in reducing disability and the overall health costs, and examine factors that may affect the use of health services. The findings will be used to establish effective strategies, and ensure efficiency (value-for-money) and equity (access to care) in musculoskeletal rehabilitation.