Hannah Beilby
About
I’m an experienced health and social policy analyst with a background in research and consulting and as a registered pharmacist. I’m interested in working across government, research centres, industry, and the not-for-profit sector to find ways to make the healthcare system more impactful and equitable.
My current role as a Research Assistant at The University of Queensland’s Centre for the Business and Economics of Health involves health technology assessment primarily focusing on external evaluation of drug company submissions to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC). Additionally, I perform a variety of research services between PBAC submission cycles. Most recently, I have been involved in scoping reviews for the Gallipoli Medical Research Foundation (GMRF) related to mental health among veteran and military populations.
Research interests
Economic evaluation and analysis: use of cost minimisation, cost-effectiveness, cost-utility, and cost-benefit analysis to help guide the allocation of resources within the health sector.
Health technology assessment: assessment of the quality, safety, efficacy, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness of health services to ensure equity of access and value for money.
Research services: broad methods of knowledge synthesis including rapid and scoping reviews that enable timely access to health information.
Health and social policy: informing the policy debate for the health and social services sector, including how the dynamics of the sector will change in response to future trends.
Research impact
Having worked across a diverse range of economic issues including mental health, disability, and domestic and family violence, my research aims to inform industry and policymakers of best practice.
For example, my previous work at the Centre included cost-effectiveness analyses of gestational diabetes screening policy – the results of which were published in The Journal of Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine. Using data from a cohort of more than 25,000 pregnant women, we looked at the cost-effectiveness of the new Australian Diabetes in Pregnancy Society (ADIPS) strategy and treatment guidelines, which combine screening with antenatal care and postpartum lifestyle management. The new strategy was shown to reduce adverse events, prevent future type 2 diabetes and lead to cost-saving care compared to a scenario where no screening was performed. This provides important evidence about primary prevention strategies for policymakers to address the growing and potentially hidden burden of gestational diabetes in the Australian population.
My clinically-focused undergraduate honours research was also published in the Molecular Oncology journal and has supported the search for potential new treatment targets for breast cancer therapies. This research has been cited in a patent application for a new imaging technology that can be used to assess the prognosis of diagnosed breast cancers.
Featured projects
| Project title | Funding amount | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Emerging and adjunct treatments for PTSD and other mental health conditions affecting veterans: a rapid evidence assessment Gallipolli Medical Research Foundation | ~$10k | 2022 - 2022 |
| Spillover Effects of Military Service on Health and Wellbeing in Veteran Families Gallipolli Medical Research Foundation | ~$100k | 2021 - 2022 |
| Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee Assessment Unit Commonwealth Department of Health | Confidential | 2021 - 2025 |
Contact
Please contact me via email, or find me on LinkedIn.