Health economics

The CRE in Telehealth concluded in September 2019. Description of work below is not current.

A critical aspect of telehealth acceptance is cost and how it benefits patients, service agencies and health funders. Researchers from the Health Economics area will ensure that costs and related benefits of CRE projects are critically examined. Researchers will also direct studies of stakeholder preferences using a variety of methods, such as discrete choice experiments.

Our work

Consumer preferences for the delivery of novel telehealth interventions in rehabilitation

This study aims to investigate the preferences of consumers using speech pathology and physiotherapy services for telehealth interventions delivered via the internet, as a supplement or alternative to usual clinic-based face-to-face service delivery. This study will be at the forefront of compiling a consumer evidence-base of the acceptance and value of telehealth in improving allied health service provision.

Consumer preferences for the delivery of a novel teledermoscopy intervention for screening individuals at an increased risk of melanoma

This study will investigate consumer preferences around melanoma screening, including mobile dermoscopy, involving skin self-examination and the electronic transmission of pictures of suspicious lesions to a dermatologist. The study aims to provide an understanding of the consumer perspective of costs and benefits of the most acceptable screening strategies, and develop a validated survey to extend our understanding in future studies. By identifying the screening approaches that are most preferred, this study could improve the early detection rate for melanomas in Australia which remains the key factor in improving survival from this cancer.