New research chair
McMaster University is seeking applicants for an Ontario Research Chair in Markets for Health Professionals. The chair, to be based in the Department of Economics, will lead the challenge to produce the research necessary to improve Ontario’s ability to forecast and plan the province’s health human resources needs. Responsibilities will include establishing a strong, quantitative research program analysing the markets for health professionals and contributing to graduate training in economics and health policy. For full details, click here.
Seminar to examine 'disinvestment'
in health care spending
The movement towards reducing the use of health care interventions that offer little or no benefit relative to cost in order to re-allocate funding in more effective areas will be examined at a CHEPA seminar on Monday, July 14.
Australian researcher Adam Elshaug will give a talk entitled Disinvestment is the buzzword, but what about it is new or different within evidence-based medicine and health services policy research? at the seminar from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Government health departments in the United Kingdom, Spain and other countries have instituted or are considering introducing programs in disinvestment as a cost-saving or cost-neutral means for funding health care. Disinvestment is the term used to describe efforts to reduce or eliminate health care interventions that are ineffective, less effective or inappropriately applied. The savings realized could then be applied to more cost-effective health care practices, which would maximize health improvements.
Elshaug will discuss if and how this movement differs from the efforts that have underpinned evidence-based medicine and health services and policy research for more than 20 years. He will offer insights from his research program on the challenges and possible future direction for disinvestment.
The seminar will be held in HSC-3N5B. All are welcome to attend.
Elshaug holds the Hanson Institute Research Fellow at Adelaide Health Technology Assessment, and is a lecturer in public health in the School of Population Health and Clinical Practice at The University of Adelaide, Australia.
He holds a master’s degree in public health, and a PhD in health services and policy research. His research program focuses on policy models to support disinvestment.