Canada Research Chair in Health Policy Evaluation and Health Care Sustainability

Phone: 709-864-8489
Email: hvnguyen@mun.ca

Research involves: Evaluating behavioural, health and economic impacts of emerging health policies targeted at risky health behaviours (cigarette smoking, lack of exercise, and substance abuse).

Research relevance: This research will provide timely evidence on important emerging health policies to inform policymakers, health care providers and the public, both in Canada and internationally.

Better health behaviours through effective health policies
Risky health behaviours such as smoking, lack of exercise and substance abuse are responsible for half of preventable chronic diseases and over one-third of health care costs. Health policies for preventing unhealthy behaviours and promoting healthy behaviours can play a critical role in improving population health and containing rising health care costs. These policies, however, are often widely debated, and rigorous evidence on their effectiveness is key to their adoption and implementation.

Dr. Hai Nguyen, Canada Research Chair in Health Policy Evaluation and Health Care Sustainability, will lead an innovative research program to evaluate impacts of these policies on health behaviour changes, health outcomes and economic benefits. His research will use state-of-the-art quantitative methods combined with high-quality health survey and administrative data to obtain the effects that are attributable to these policies (and not to other confounding factors).

Dr. Nguyen’s research will provide much needed and timely evidence on several important emerging health policies in Canada to inform policymakers, health care providers and the public, both in Canada and internationally.