How can research drive real change in health and aged care? At UTS Business School, researchers are tackling complex challenges from improving regulatory impact to ensuring fair and sustainable access to care. Meet some of the researchers working to improve outcomes, strengthen systems and inform policy.
Improving health and aged care systems
Corporate governance and compliance in the health sector: Dr Yolanda Lin
The Royal Commission into aged care uncovered a range of problems that regulatory intervention is now trying to address. But how effective is this intervention?
Lecturer in the UTS Business School, Dr Yolanda Lin is exploring the unintended consequences of regulatory intervention to ensure the aged care sector is implementing meaningful change rather than cutting expenses.
“One of the key findings we found is that regulatory intervention could bring meaningful changes at the operational level,” Yolanda said. “Aged care service providers will actually increase the staffing levels in response to regulatory intervention.”
One of the key findings we found is that regulatory intervention could bring meaningful changes at the operational level.
“However, they cut expenses in other areas such as training and staff development. This means there's unintended consequences as service providers are valuing staff quantity over staff quality.”
The evidence emerged from Yolanda’s research has resulted in several submissions to the Commonwealth Government. Other research findings were quoted during parliamentary policy debates.
Creating a better system of health insurance for all Australians: A/Prof Nathan Kettlewell
Since the inception of Medicare in 1984, free public hospital care has been available for all Australian citizens, yet around 45% of the population have private health insurance. While private insurance covers extras such as dental and private hospital care, it can be hard to get back as much as you put in.
A/Prof Nathan Kettlewell is exploring ways to ensure that health outcomes are delivered in a way that is fair, equitable and financially sustainable.
“When you buy health insurance in Australia, typically what people will do is they'll buy insurance for extras, which are things like dental, glasses, physiotherapy or insurance for private hospital expenses for things such as elective surgeries like hip replacements.”
“However, if you actually go through the details of the plans that the people are purchasing, it can be really hard to actually get back more than you're likely to put in.”
Shaping the future of aged care: Prof David Brown and A/Prof Nicole Sutton
Aiming to inform the policy debate, researchers in the UTS Ageing Research Collaborative (UARC) are exploring how we can enable a more environmental, social and sustainable care and support network for older Australians.
“We’re currently experiencing a once-in-a-generation transformation of the aged care sector, with the next two or three years determining the next two or three decades,” David said.
UARC is led by UTS academics from multiple faculties working in collaboration with researchers from other universities, aged-care providers, health services, government agencies and consumer groups. Its aim is to identify evidence-based solutions to the issues facing ageing and aged care, such as whether aged care homes across Australia are meeting mandatory staffing requirements.
We’re currently experiencing a once-in-a-generation transformation of the aged care sector, with the next two or three years determining the next two or three decades.
“If aged care is mainly funded by Australian taxpayers then this issue is important for all generations. Both the people who are going to use the services and the people paying for them,” Nicole said.