Alfred Wong
Dr Alfred Wong is Senior Lecturer in the Finance Discipline at the School of Business, Charles Sturt University. He is also an adjunct lecturer and research fellow at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland School of Business. His expertise is in statistical analysis, financial modelling, and applied economics. His research interests are in the areas of empirical finance, economic evaluation of health care interventions and feasibility study of renewable energy projects. He has won several teaching and research awards, published in international peer-reviewed academic journals, and successfully completed several industry research grants. He teaches in the undergraduate and postgraduate program and has successfully supervised several Doctoral and Honours students.
Dr Wong is the Chief Data Analyst for the Equally Well Project Team, which has received a large research grant from the Commonwealth Department of Health. The study aims to better understand the association between mortality rates and the use of mental health related treatments. His current research involves the analyses of large health datasets sourced from the Medicare Benefits Schedule, Pharmaceutical Benefits Schedule. He is a co-recipient of a NSW MNCLHD Health Innovation Award in 2020 for a study on cost-effectiveness of Specialist Parkinson’s Disease nurse position, and in 2021, the Charles Sturt Excellence Award, for the research on the impacts of COVID-19 on workplace mental health and wellbeing.
Abstract
Title: Mortality of people using mental health services and medicines
This project directly links to the 5th National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan priority of improving the physical health of people living with mental illness (Priority 5) and the recommendations of the Productivity Commission Inquiry Report into Mental Health on improving the physical health of people living with mental illness. The project aims to update and repeat the analysis of enhance and extend findings from the earlier ‘Mortality of people using mental health services and prescription medications’ (ABS, 2017) to update and extend its findings. This 2017 data integration project investigated the use of mental health-related treatments amongst the Australian population in 2011 as well as mortality outcomes for people accessing mental health related treatments compared with the rest of the population. This research uses existing records that are de-identified and confidentialised appropriately by the ABS within the context of the other security features of the DataLab. Statistical analysis using the ABS MADIP datasets are conducted within the ABS's DataLab environment. A better understanding of the linkage between mental health related services and medications use will enable policy makers, service providers and health advocacy bodies to monitor progress in reducing the life expectancy gap, target service initiatives for the key elevated risks of premature mortality, illness preventive and early intervention policy development.
