Level 5, 75 Talavera Road
Macquarie Park NSW 2109
Impactful research that creates a healthy Australia
For government and industry executives who make complex strategic decisions, Macquarie University Centre for the Health Economy (MUCHE) provides trusted, comprehensive policy analysis and market intelligence.
A passion for collaboration and research innovation, and a commitment to improving healthcare system outcomes and value, underpins our work.
Our vision is to create a world where decision-makers are empowered with applied, trusted and influential research into health and human services policy and systems.
Our mission is to deliver leading innovative research by operating professionally, collaboratively and sustainably.
About MUCHE
We are interested in investigating the health economy at the macro level, with particular focus on the interdependencies of these systems with each other and the broader economy. This includes investigating factors beyond the health and human services sectors that impact the health and wellbeing of populations.
MUCHE’s point of difference lies in our approach to research. While the centre primarily consists of specialist health economists, we recognise that researching the health economy requires many skill sets and experience. Solving problems within health and human services now requires teams with multi-disciplinary skills working closely together.
We take pride in delivering innovative translational research by combining:
- our professional approach to partner engagement
- our academic approach to methodology.
MUCHE aims to:
- Lead – be a leading research centre that contributes to, and shifts, the health and human services debate in Australia.
- Innovate – deliver high quality, innovative research valued by business, government and Macquarie University.
- Collaborate – build and maintain close collaboration with Macquarie University faculties, centres and institutes.
- Connect – hold trusted connections with business, government and the not-for-profit sector.
- Expand – utilise international experience and create an international presence for the Centre.
- Train – develop a large and highly skilled team of specialist health economists, researchers and PHD students.
- Stimulate – create an innovative, stimulating and exciting workplace environment.
Economic evaluation
We use complex economic evaluation modelling techniques to estimate healthcare cost effectiveness and budget impacts. This includes economic evaluations alongside clinical trials of new medicines, medical devices, diagnostics and vaccines.
Health preference research
We use experimental techniques to estimate the value people place on alternative attributes of health and human service products and services. This includes discrete choice and behavioural economics experiments.
Policy analysis
We use sophisticated econometric and machine learning techniques to estimate the impacts of government policy on health outcomes, healthcare use and costs, and equity of access to care.
In 2024, MUCHE and partners were awarded more than $27 million in research grant funding for new projects. We engage in partnerships across the University and externally.
Our collaborative approach also extends to world-leading universities in the United States, Europe and Asia, and to government and non-government partners that are committed to funding independent research on the health economy.
Learn more about AIHI’s partners in our annual report (pages 14–15)
Research streams
We conduct research within six streams:
- aged care
- health preference
- health technology assessment
- integrated care
- mental health
- PBAC and MSAC evaluations.