University of Queensland senior research fellow takes the pulse of Australia's health industry

The impact of changes to Australia's health industry will come under the microscope of leading health services academic Dr Rosalie Boyce, thanks to the granting of a three-year $500,000 Australian Postdoctoral Research Fellowship.

Dr Boyce is a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Queensland Graduate School of Management.

The research grant is the first Australian Research Council postdoctoral grant awarded to the Graduate School of Management.

Dr Boyce will undertake the first extensive study of the social, organisational and professional impact of the Government decision to contract out various allied health services in Australia's publicly-funded health sector hospitals.

'Clinical professionals in the health sector are being forced to change their professional practices and organisation because of the implementation of internal market reforms, competition and services contracting in public hospitals,' Dr Boyce said.

'Traditional organisational approaches based on allocated budgets, professional hierarchies and profession-led judgements of patient/client needs are being replaced by internal and external services agreements and contracts and a business-focus for health services.

'The study, which involves an international component, will examine how the system is adapting to one in which service decisions are tied to market mechanisms.'

Dr Boyce said one outcome expected from the study would be a better understanding of the implications for professional autonomy in a market environment and an understanding of professional re-positioning under market pressures.

'We expect the research will provide guidance for the operation of competition policy for health professional services,' she said.

Dr Boyce is a trained allied health professional and has a master of business management degree. She has undertaken extensive research and consultancy work into the health services industry.

For further information, please call Dr Rosalie Boyce on (07) 3365 6675