Health Analytics, Leadership, and Economics (HALE) Hub
Transforming Australian Healthcare:
Data-Driven Insights for a Healthier Future
Health Analytics, Leadership, and Economics (HALE) Hub
The Health Analytics, Leadership, and Economics (HALE) Hub aims to revolutionise healthcare by addressing the global challenge of escalating costs and championing the importance of an efficient and equitable healthcare system.
In a landscape where healthcare funding often hinges on service volume rather than health outcomes, the HALE Hub's mission is to provide robust evidence that drives effective policy development. Through rigorous causal analyses of key policy reforms and the integration of cutting-edge AI methodologies, the HALE Hub aims to provide policymakers with insights that pave the way for transformative changes and create new technologies which empower patients to make their own decisions on their health and healthcare.
By leveraging interdisciplinary expertise, fostering innovation, and prioritising actionable research, the HALE Hub is committed to shaping evidence-based solutions that enhance the efficiency, equity, and sustainability of healthcare systems, with a particular focus on the Australian context.
The mission of the HALE Hub extends beyond academia, aiming to influence policies that impact the lives of individuals and communities and ultimately contribute to a healthier and more equitable future.
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Professor Yuting Zhang
HALE Hub Director, Melbourne Institute: Applied Economic & Social Research
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Associate Professor Jongsay Yong
Melbourne Institute: Applied Economic & Social Research
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Dr Karinna Saxby
Melbourne Institute: Applied Economic & Social Research
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Dr Susan Méndez
Melbourne Institute: Applied Economic & Social Research
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Dr Ou Yang
Melbourne Institute: Applied Economic & Social Research
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Professor Charles Kemp
Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, the University of Melbourne
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Professor Cassandra Szoeke
Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, the University of Melbourne
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Dr Nathan Kettlewell
University of Technology Sydney
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Professor Inma Hernandez
University of California San Diego
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Mr Mike Stephens
National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO)
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Assistant Professor Eric Sun
Stanford University
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Professor Lisa Cameron
Melbourne Institute: Applied Economic & Social Research
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Professor Guyonne Kalb
Melbourne Institute: Applied Economic & Social Research
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Dr Federico Zilio
Melbourne Institute: Applied Economic & Social Research
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Professor Maggie Abernethy
Faculty of Business and Economics, the University of Melbourne
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Professor Flora Kuang
Department of Accounting, the University of Melbourne
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Professor Jill Lei
Department of Management and Marketing, the University of Melbourne
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Professor Jenny Williams
Department of Economics, the University of Melbourne
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Dr Mario Andrés Muñoz
School of Computer and Information Systems (CIS), the University of Melbourne
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Professor Erin Strumpf
Department of Economics and the Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University
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Dr Fang-Chi Lu
Department of Management and Marketing, the University of Melbourne
2024-2027: Faculty of Business and Economics, the University of Melbourne. Transforming Australian healthcare: Data-driven insights for a healthier future.
Researchers: Yuting Zhang, Jongsay Yong, Charles Kemp, Cassadra Szoeke, Nathan Kettlewell, Eric Sun, Inma Hernandez, Mike Stephens.
2021-2025: Australian Research Council Future Fellowship. Studying Medicare and private health insurance design to improve policy developments, and inform value-based healthcare, and empower patients to participate in their own healthcare.
Researcher: Yuting Zhang.
2021-2023: Medibank Health Research Fund. The impact of price transparency on price variation and out of pocket costs.
Researchers: Adam Elshaug, Khic Prang, Anthony Scott, Jongsay Yong, Susan Méndez.
2020-2024: NHMRC MRFF Targeted health system and community organization research. Predicting the population health economic impact of current and new Cancer Treatments (PRIMCAT).
Researchers: Maarten IJzerman, Yuting Zhang, Peter Gibbs, Sallie-Anne Pearson, Koren Degeling, Fanny Franchini, Ben Solomon, Grant McArthur, Stephen Fox, Jeyesh Desai.
2018-present: UNSW and Monash University. Economic evaluation of cytisine vs varenicline on smoking cessation: A randomized clinical trial.
Researchers: Karinna Saxby, Dennis Petrie, Andrew Ireland, Rohan Sweeney, Ryan J Courtney, Hayden McRobbie, Michael Farrell.
2018-present: Royal Women’s Hospital/Royal Melbourne Hospital and Breast Cancer Trials Research. Economic evaluation of a clinical trial of omitting radiotherapy among women with early-stage invasive breast cancer.
Researchers: Karinna Saxby, Gregory Bruce Mann, Allan Park, Dennis Petrie.
2021-2022: WISE Employment Services. The impact of employment on mental healthcare use among people with disability: Distinguishing between part-and full-time employment.
Researchers: Karinna Saxby, Helen Dickinson, Dennis Petrie, Anne Kavanagh, Zoe Aitken.
2022: Victorian Department of Health. Enhancing the Department’s multivariant demand driver model to accommodate and evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on service costs.
Researchers: Jongsay Yong, Ou Yang, Yuting Zhang.
2022: Independent Health and Aged Care Pricing Authority. Assisting in the Pricing Authority’s development of methodology to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on hospital cost and activity.
Researchers: Jongsay Yong.
2021: Department of Treasury and Finance, Victoria. Developing an assessment framework to assess and review COVID-19 policy responses in relation to the GST distribution across Australian States.
Researchers: Jongsay Yong, Susan Mendez.
2020-2021: Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA). Examining impact of military service on Veterans’ wellbeing and aging using large existing data including Australian taxation record, Medicare data, DVA healthcare data, and HILDA data.
Researchers: Judith Liu, Yuting Zhang.
2020-2021: Victorian Department of Health and Human Services. Re-designing stroke care pathways under a value-based healthcare approach.
Researchers: Yuting Zhang, Danielle Romanes.
2019-2021: Department of Health and Aged Care. Mental health modelling and COVID-19 mental health response.
Researchers: Karinna Saxby, Dennis Petrie, Johannes Kunz, Sonja de New, Nicole Black, Anthony Harris, Daniel Avdic, Chris Schilling, James Taylor.
2020: Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety. Developing econometric models and applying the models to assess the effects of competition on prices and quality of residential aged care in Australia.
Researchers: Jongsay Yong, Ou Yang, Yuting Zhang, Anthony Scott.
2020: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Developing health system performance measures used by Australia.
Researchers: Anthony Scott, Yuting Zhang, Judith Liu.
2018-2020: Cancer Council NSW. Economic evaluation of the BreastScreen program. Developing the costing model and performing the economic evaluation under current and alternative screening strategies.
Researchers: Karinna Saxby, Gregory Bruce Mann, Allan Park, Dennis Petrie, Carolyn Nickson, Louiza Velentzis, Sabine Deij, Pietro Procopio.
2017-2020: US National Institutes of Health. Impact of insurance benefit design on patient outcomes: Evidence from the Medicare Part D coverage gap closure.
Researchers: Cameron Kaplan, Yuting Zhang.
2017-2020: Alzheimer's Association Research Grant to Promote Diversity. Claims data mining to predict side effects of anti-dementia drugs
Researchers: Inma Hernadez, Yuting Zhang.
Selected past projects
2018: Healthcare professional, Peak Body. Project lead for a team engaged to develop a HTA framework for a National peak body. This framework will assist the organisation in progressing policy changes through advocacy with the Australian Government.
Researcher: Karinna Saxby, Renae Beardmore.
2018: Department of Health and Aged Care. Improving the distribution of doctors through the new Rural Primary Care Stream.
Researchers: Susan Méndez, Anthony Scott.
2017-2018: Victorian Department of Health and Human Services. Analysing the relationship between health and socioeconomic status to inform development of loadings and risk-adjustment approaches for current and future funding models.
Researcher: Jongsay Yong, Ou Yang.
2015-2018: Commonwealth Fund in the US. Evaluating the effects of Pioneer ACOs on Medicare Part D spending.
Researcher: Yuting Zhang.
2017: Capital Health Network. Part of a team engaged to develop a model of care for Heart Failure patients in the Australian Capital Territory. Karinna Saxby assisted with stakeholder management, workshop coordination, project support and report development for the project.
Researcher: Karinna Saxby, Renae Beardmore.
2017: The World Bank. A theoretical model of physician dual practice and implications for empirical work
Researchers: Susan Méndez, Anthony Scott.
2016-2017: Victorian Department of Health and Human Services. Evaluating the statistical models and results from the out-of-home care reform – Residential care beds and targeted care program.
Researcher: Ou Yang.
2016-2017: Victorian Department of Health and Human Services. Evaluating the statistical models and results the Roadmap for Reform: Strong Families, Safe Children program.
Researcher: Ou Yang.
2013-2017: National Institutes of Health in the US. Optimizing Medicare Part D plan choice by beneficiaries with schizophrenia.
Researcher: Yuting Zhang, Judith Lave, Joe Newhouse.
2016: Commonwealth Fund. Updating measures of geographic variation in the quality of prescribing in Medicare.
Researcher: Yuting Zhang.
Medicare at 40
On Monday 19 February 2024 we brought together policymakers, academics, and industry leaders together at the Melbourne Museum to:
- Celebrate the history and accomplishments of Medicare;
- Reflect on what is working well, lessons learned in the past 40 years, and areas for improvement;
- Highlight current reforms and new government initiatives to strengthen Medicare;
- Discuss strategies to improve access and affordability, and the efficiency of the healthcare system; and
- Discuss new developments in digital health and MyMedicare to modernise Medicare
Presentation slides
View presentation slides from selected Medicare at 40 panelists. Slides have been shared with permission from the authors.
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Data-driven research to improve access and affordability of healthcare
Professor Yuting Zhang
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Caring for older patients: Quality and efficiency
Professor Jongsay Yong
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Consumers' access and affordability to healthcare
Dr Elizabeth Deveny
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The future is here
Mr Anthony Gust
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Future of health megatrends
Professor The Hon. Greg Hunt
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History and future of Medicare
Dr Steph Davis
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Improving healthcare access and affordability
Dr Bronwyn Morrish
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Queensland Digital Health Centre
Professor Clair Sullivan
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