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Research & Programs

The Institute’s research mandate is organized around four major programs: Health Economics, Health Technology Assessment, Knowledge Transfer and Dissemination, and Decision Analytic Modelling.

We also engage in Special Evaluation Projects, seek out and promote Key Partnerships, and emphasise Capacity Building.

Health Economics
The IHE provides economic analysis at both the system-wide level (in broad areas of health sector management and significant disease burdens such as cancer and mental health), as well economic evaluation of individual technologies and therapeutic interventions.

Health Technology Assessment
The Health Technology Assessment Program at the Institute of Health Economics is the provincial focus for HTA activities in Alberta. The Program conducts assessments on a range of topics for the Alberta government; a variety of efforts to increase collaboration and strengthen the assessment processes; as well as a number of approaches for effective dissemination and impact of its findings.

Decision Analytic Modelling
The IHE's interdisciplinary Decision Analytic Modeling Unit includes health economists, biostatisticians, epidemiologists, and clinicians dedicated to using decision analytic approaches to inform the effective allocation of health resources.

Knowledge Transfer & Dissemination
IHE makes use of a number of means to distribute, disseminate, and increase the impact of its own work. These include traditional approaches such as publications in scientific journals, conference presentations, information via the Internet, press releases, workshops, seminars, and other educational activities.

Special Evaluation Projects
The IHE is conducting a number of large evaluation and comprehensive studies. These include studies on Alternative Reimbursement Models, the Alberta Depression Initiative, and the Alberta Biologics project. IHE is also developing some significant data gathering and analysis projects: the Alberta Diabetes Atlas (conducted by ACHORD) and the Alberta Primary Care Atlas project.

Key Partnerships
A key strategic direction for the IHE is Supporting Partnerships. Some key affiliations are:

  • Technical member of the Health Evidence Network (HEN) of the World Health Organization (WHO)
  • Member of the International Network of Agencies for Health Technology Assessment (INAHTA)
  • Secretariat for Health Technology Assessment International (HTAi)
  • Scientific secretariat of the HTAi Policy Forum
  • Secretariat for the US/Canada Healthcare Working group of the Pacific Northwest Economic Region (PNWER)
  • Member of the International Health Economics Association (iHEA), and
  • Member of the Canadian Association for Health Services and Policy Research (CAHSPR) 

Capacity Building
The IHE actively pursues programs and initiatives to increase the capacity of health economics and health system evaluation in the Province of Alberta. This includes the IHE Fellows programs providing research work to Alberta researchers and international collaborations connecting Alberta researchers to colleagues nationally and internationally. There will be specific interdisciplinary initiatives undertaken in the next few years to support interdisciplinary research.