Chair's Report 2007/2008

2008 saw two important events that have highlighted CHERE’s successes.

First, Jane Hall as President of the Health Services Research Association of Australia and New Zealand had initiated

and has encouraged the development of this Association since 1999. It now holds regular conferences which bring together an outstanding array of speakers to focus on developments in research, policy issues and an exchange between researchers and policymakers. As she steps down from the Presidency, Marion Haas is taking on the role of Vice-President, thus ensuring CHERE’s continuing contribution and leadership of the field of health services research. The Fifth Conference of the Association was held in Auckland in December. It was well attended by speakers from Australia and New Zealand, with many interesting international presenters as well. The interchange between Ted Marmor (Professor of Political Science, School of Management, Yale University) and Stephen Duckett (heading the Reform Team in Queensland Health) on Fads, Fashions and Fallacies in Health Policy and Health Management was most engaging and entertaining, showing that health economists have a sense of humour as well as passionate views about how to improve health systems. While Prof Marmor debunked much of the ‘management speak’ around new approaches to health system reform and health care management, Dr Duckett demonstrated a pragmatic approach to driving better performance and improved accountability in a State health system. CHERE was a major contributor to the conference, from Marion Haas’ involvement in the Organising Committee, the presentation of many proffered papers, to a keynote address from Jane Hall and a panel commentary and discussion from Rosalie Viney.

Second, Rosalie Viney has been appointed the Chair of the Economics Sub-Committee (ESC) of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee, as well as a member of that Committee. This Sub-Committee is at the heart of ensuring value for money in the PBS. Establishing value has been controversial in some well publicised applications in recent years, and value for money is always argued. Rosalie is at the heart of the experts charged to ensure the health of Australia’s unique system for approving and financing the availability of quality medicines for the whole Australian population. In addition, the Sub-Committee is leading internationally developments in the methods of health technology assessment and their implementation.

CHERE faces the hard task of finding quality people to undertake a huge and demanding workload. There has been little investment in Australia in training the cadre of economists to work in research, teaching and policy analysis as health systems become more and more complex and expensive, and the demand for health economics skills increases in both the public and private sectors. Quite correctly, CHERE has insisted that its high standards not falter in the competitive market for health economics skills. CHERE invests strongly in the development of all its staff and is widely recognized as providing a positive and supportive work environment. Unfortunately, this leads to valuable staff being highly sought for jobs in other organizations and other countries. It is interesting to see how many of Australia’s health economists have spent a formative period in CHERE.  The Board is pleased to see that the arrangements for post-graduate supervision have been clarified over the last few years, and that CHERE is now attracting high caliber students.

I congratulate Professor Jane Hall and her colleagues on another year of high achievement. I also want to thank my colleagues on the Advisory Committee who give their time to discuss, encourage and occasionally cajole Jane, Marion, Rosalie and others on their great work. Finally, again thanks to UTS for their continuing support of a world class health economics research centre.