Health Systems and Health Economics

HSHE’s prime purpose is to develop health system capacity through research, teaching and knowledge transfer activities with the aim of improving health care system performance.

Our educational programs focus on expanding knowledge of health system challenges within the context of health care policy and provision from local and international perspectives.

Our research in health systems contributes to policy formulation, prioritisation and evaluation and involves both methodological and applied research across health service delivery and health system reform, health economics, preference measurement, priority setting and data management, clinical trial, epidemiology and geospatial analysis.

Vision

Our vision is to improve the health of communities through improving health system performance and building effective leadership and management capacity for health system sustainability.

Mission

Through translation of research, teaching, knowledge transfer activities and engagement across all levels of the health care system, we aim to:

• Build evidence base to shape policy and practice to support evidence informed activity
• Support health professionals and leaders to deliver high quality, safe and sustainable health care
• Support the growth of leadership and management capacity across health systems

HSHE is committed to forging mutually beneficial partnerships with industry that contribute to the future of WA health through research and translation  as well as the relevance and employability of Health Administration graduates.

We believe it is essential to liaise closely with public and private health organisations (including: clinicians, policy makers and service users) to ensure that our research has the greatest capacity for bringing about real change in the health sector. We work at all geographical levels, from WA State and national based research through to international collaborations with leading researchers in their respective fields.

The Western Australian Primary Health Alliance (WAPHA)

The Western Australian Primary Health Alliance (WAPHA) has an ongoing partnership with the Curtin Health Systems and Health Economics Group. This partnership has been successful due to our shared vision for WAPHA and in turn, healthcare more generally. We also agree on the principles by which collaboration can improve the wider health system. In particular Professor Suzanne Robinson has been instrumental in mentoring and coaching WAPHA, from the initial point of conceptualising a commissioning organisation and overtime in maturing key activities within the commissioning context. WAPHA as a statewide organisation, has the opportunity to improve ‘value’ at each point in the care continuum, clinician-patient, patient-team, neighbourhood–community and system wide alignment. Professor Robinson and her team have been integral to building capability, applying rigor to our learning, and networking us to value-add resources.

This partnership is more than one of industry-academia, with a shared vision for health system sustainability the partnership continues to mature and grow, seeding further innovation to the benefit of all.

Western Australian General Practice Education and Training

The Western Australian General Practice Education and Training  (WAGPET) has been working with the Health Systems and Health Economics discipline for some time. We have found the Team at Curtin University to be great listeners who offer great collaborative respectful and relevant help. The team are always available to answer any questions and have provided timely responses to all of our queries. The team at Curtin have made complex information and research accessible to WAGPET in an easy to digest manor. They have provided excellent analytical ability by considering different ways of interpreting the data form the customers point of view.

Other key industry partners that work in collaboration with the Health Systems and Health Economics discipline include:

• State Health
• Health Consumer council

Research Staff
Suzanne Robinson (Discipline lead)
Rachael Moorin
Delia Hendrie
Richard Norman
Richard Varhol
David Youens
Cameron Wright
Marshall Makate
Tonia Ledwith
Mi Jacobs
Kaylie Toll

Teaching Staff
Suzanne Robinson (Discipline lead)
Abby Mosedale (Health Administration Course Coordinator)
Delia Hendrie
Caroline Yates
Judith Daire
Sharon Campbell
Richard Varhol

2019 news and events to come.