New paper published from the Embedded Economist program
The Embedded Economist program, led by NSW Regional Health Partners, sought to use a researcher-in-residence model in Local Health Districts and a Primary Health Network to increase staff awareness of the value of economic evaluation, build knowledge and capacity to apply economic evaluation, and facilitate health services to change decision-making practices by applying economic evaluation.
Our new paper, published in BMC Health Research, examined the impact of embedding an economist within Hunter New England and Central Coast Primary Health Network. Overall, it found that PHN staff gained raised awareness of the value of applying economic evaluation principles in decision-making, especially when commissioning service providers. The ability of the embedded Economist to build trust with PHN staff, and the receptive culture towards improving commissioning practice within the PHN, were enabling factors in this. The findings reinforce international evidence supporting the value of researchers in residence within health services.