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Research interests
We investigate decision-making in social and health care at different levels of the society. Our research related to consumers decision-making is focused on consumers’ choices and decision-making related to social and health services and medicine use, with a focus on consumer behavior, preferences, and demand for health services.
We study decision-making also at the organizational level focusing on the implementation of clinical guidelines and the decision-making of physicians and managers. In particular, we are interested in the use of cost-effectiveness information in clinical decision-making and the effects of clinical guidelines on medicine prescribing. In addition, we examine physicians’ adherence to clinical guidelines and factors involved in the treatment decisions.
We evaluate the economic and social sustainability of policies and the cost-effectiveness of social and health care services and interventions to support societal decision-making. We have strong expertise in economic evaluation, and our aim is to explore the willingness-to-pay threshold in Finland. Threshold is required to interpret results of cost-utility analysis.
Objective
Our aim is to provide knowledge of well-being in the society and economic and social sustainability. Our research focus is in the social and health care and pharmaceutical markets, and we conduct research related to different populations. In particular, our research focuses on older long-term care and home care clients, multimorbidity, children and adolescents, and mental health promotion.
Theoretical and methodological competence
Our research group has strong expertise in the theory of health economics and general economics, especially in the economics of welfare, industrial economics and production theory. We study the supply, utilization and demand of social and health care services, and the themes related to health equity, i.e. health and socioeconomic equality. We apply industrial economics to study social and health care market structures and the connection between producer ownership and quality, costs and service structure. We study the performance of the health care system, and its determinants, using production theory of efficiency analysis.
Our research group has extensive expertise in econometrics and statistics. In particular, in applied econometrics, quasi-experimental methods and the utilization of national registers. We conduct economic evaluations of social and health care services and interventions based on experimental methods (controlled and observational settings), registry studies, decision-modelling and systematic reviews. In addition, we use a broad range of other quantitative and qualitative methods in our research.
Collaboration
Our research is multidisciplinary, and we work in collaboration with various fields of sciences, such as pharmacy, sports medicine, medicine, psychology, health science, statistics, and social sciences. We also collaborate with various research organizations and well-being services counties. Our current partners are The Finnish Medical Society Duodecim, The Finnish Centre for Pensions, The Finnish Medicines Agency, The Social Insurance Institution of Finland, The Labour Institute for Economic Research, The Finnish Medical Association, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, VATT Institute for Economic Research, Universities of Helsinki, Oulu, Tampere and Turku.
Our research group is part of The Effectiveness of Social and Health Services (EFFECTIVENESS) research community, which comprises top-level researchers and experts in effectiveness research. The research community produces effectiveness and cost-effectiveness knowledge based on scientific research on social and health services and the promotion of health and well-being. In addition, we coordinate National Implementation Research Network in the EFFECTIVENESS research community. Our PhD students take part in the Welfare, Health and Management (WELMA) doctoral programme.
News
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43rd Nordic Health Economists’ Study Group meeting
The Health Economics research group at the University of Eastern Finland will host the 43rd Nordic Health Economists’ Study Group (NHESG) meeting on…
Projects
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PROSHADE - Realiable Knowledge for Health Care: Process and Practice of Shared Decision Making 01.10.2020 - 30.09.2026
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SustAgeable: Economic and social sustainability across time and space in an ageing society 01.10.2021 - 30.09.2027
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Support4Resilience - Strengthening resilience and mental wellbeing through the S4R toolbox for leaders in elderly care 01.03.2024 - 28.02.2028
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MEDIFF: Evaluation of implementation strategies to promote rational use of medicines in older people 01.01.2022 - 31.12.2024
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Improving the effectiveness of well-being and health of older people in Kainuu Finished 02.01.2021 - 31.08.2022
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Center for Social and Health Care Effectiveness -project Finished 01.01.2021 - 30.09.2021
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GuideGap: Guideline adherent prescribing and factors explaining deviations 01.01.2024 - 31.12.2026
Cooperation
Keywords
Professors
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Mika Linna
ProfessorDepartment of Health and Social Management, Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies -
Ismo Linnosmaa
ProfessorDepartment of Health and Social Management, Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies -
Mikael Linden
Professor, EmeritusDepartment of Health and Social Management, Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies
Senior Researchers
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Eila Kankaanpää
Research DirectorDepartment of Health and Social Management, Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies -
Virva Hyttinen-Huotari
Senior ResearcherDepartment of Health and Social Management, Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies -
Leena Forma
Research DirectorDepartment of Health and Social Management, Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies -
Jan Klavus
Senior ResearcherDepartment of Health and Social Management, Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies
Post-doctoral Researchers
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Olli Salmensuu
Postdoctoral ResearcherDepartment of Health and Social Management, Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies -
Olli Halminen
Postdoctoral ResearcherDepartment of Health and Social Management, Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies -
Elisa Rissanen
Postdoctoral ResearcherDepartment of Health and Social Management, Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies
Doctoral Researchers
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Anna Karttunen
Social Media SpecialistDevelopment Services, University Services -
Anna-Kaisa Vartiainen
Project ResearcherDepartment of Health and Social Management, Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies -
Ossi Lehtonen
Doctoral ResearcherDepartment of Health and Social Management, Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies -
Kaisu Happonen
Doctoral ResearcherDepartment of Health and Social Management, Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies -
Pasi Kekkonen
Doctoral ResearcherDepartment of Health and Social Management, Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies -
Johanna Laine
Doctoral ResearcherDepartment of Health and Social Management, Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies
University lecturers
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Hannu Tanninen
University LecturerDepartment of Health and Social Management, Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies -
Mervi Rantsi
University LecturerDepartment of Health and Social Management, Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies
Statisticians
Project researchers
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Eija Savolainen
Project ResearcherDepartment of Health and Social Management, Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies -
Tuuli Suomela
Project ResearcherDepartment of Health and Social Management, Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies