The Economics of disability research stream at Deakin Health Economics addresses the gap in economics of disability from economic merits of interventions in prevention and treatment through models of health service delivery.
The Economics of disability research stream at Deakin Health Economics commenced in 2014. The focus of the stream is dictated by project funding, for example:
- trial-based economic evaluation of care for children with cerebral palsy
- assessing economic impact of capacity building of a disability service provider
- a systematic review of economic impact of cerebral palsy and identification of economically viable interventions
- the cost-effectiveness of a program to engage children with disability in sport
- preference-based quality of life measures for children with cerebral palsy
The scope of research has broadened to address the huge gap in economics of disability from economic merits of interventions in prevention and treatment through models of health service delivery. Recent disability stream involvement includes a large National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) grant with the Australian Centre for Health, Independence, Economic Participation and Value Enhanced Care for adolescents and young adults with cerebral palsy which aims to improve physical and mental health and to build supportive family, community and health service environments.
Our research
Economic impact and economic evaluation research
We undertake research to identify and evaluate both costs and disease burden across a broad range of disorders or risk factors. We review relevant literature and summarise the findings. We also specialise in evaluating the cost-effectiveness of interventions for individuals with disability.
Contact: Utsana Tonmukayakul
Email: utsana.tonmukayakul@deakin.edu.au
Preference-based quality of life measure in children with cerebral palsy
We use different research methods, including mapping and Rasch analysis, to explore, measure and provide solutions to the quality of life measurement in children with cerebral palsy for use in economic evaluation.
Contact: Utsana Tonmukayakul
Email: utsana.tonmukayakul@deakin.edu.au
Feature publications and reports
Brief examples of our more recent work spanning these areas of research include:
Economic impact and economic evaluation studies
- Shih STF; Tonmukayakul U; Imms C; Reddihough D; Graham HK; Cox L; Carter R, 2018, ‘Economic evaluation and cost of interventions for cerebral palsy: a systematic review’, Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, vol. 60, pp. 543 – 558. doi:10.1111/dmcn13653
- Tonmukayakul U; Shih STF; Bourke-Taylor H; Imms C; Reddihough D; Cox L; Carter R, 2018, ‘Systematic review of the economic impact of cerebral palsy’, Research in Developmental Disabilities, vol. 80, pp. 93 – 101
- Toovey R; Harvey AR; McGinley JL; Lee KJ; Shih STF; Spittle AJ, 2018, ‘Bike skills training for children with cerebral palsy: protocol for a randomised controlled trial.’, BMJ Open, vol. 8, pp. e019898, doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2017-019898
Preference-based quality of life measure in children with cerebral palsy
- Tonmukayakul U, Le L, Mudiyanselage S, Engel L, Bucholc J, Mulhern B, Carter R, Mihalopoulos C. A systematic review of utility values in children with cerebral palsy. Quality of Life Research. 2019, vol.28, pp.1-12, doi: 10.1007/s11136-018-1955-8
- Tonmukayakul U, Imms C, Mihalopoulos C, Reddihough D, Carter R, Mulhern B, Chen G. Health-related quality of life and upper-limb impairment in children with cerebral palsy: developing a mapping algorithm. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology. 2020. Online first doi/10.1111/dmcn.14488