Publications

The publications from the Centre for Health Economics (CHE) at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China reflect a rigorous, empirical approach to health policy and economics, often focusing on the specific challenges of the Chinese healthcare landscape while employing advanced quantitative methodologies.

Core Research Themes

The Centre’s publication record is characterized by several consistent research priorities:

  • Mental Health Economics: A prominent area of research involves analyzing the economic burden of mental health conditions, such as depression. Publications in this field examine the "hidden costs" of mental illness—including impacts on social trust and life satisfaction—as well as barriers to care such as stigma, out-of-pocket costs, and the availability of resources.
  • Chronic Disease & Multimorbidity: There is a strong focus on the economics and management of non-communicable diseases. Research in this area frequently assesses the utilization and costs of care for conditions like diabetes and hypertension, often exploring how integrated care models affect patient outcomes in aging populations.
  • Health Policy & System Reform: Our publications evaluate the efficacy of national and regional health reforms. Key topics include the impacts of tiered-healthcare systems, outpatient mutual aid policies, and the incentive structures within public hospitals.
  • Healthcare Access & Equity: Research frequently addresses disparities in healthcare delivery, investigating topics such as the multi-tiered medical education system, regional inequalities in physician distribution, and the socio-economic factors influencing insurance coverage and healthcare utilization.
  • Methodological Innovation: The Centre emphasizes the use of advanced empirical techniques. This includes the application of big data (such as mobile phone-generated data for public health surveillance), experimental economics (such as dictator games to understand behavioral factors), and sophisticated econometric modeling (difference-in-differences, event-study designs) to evaluate causal impacts of health policies.

Channels of Dissemination

The Centre maintains a multi-tiered approach to sharing its research:

  • Health Series Working Papers: The Centre operates a dedicated "Health Series" of working papers, which serves as a rapid platform for disseminating preliminary findings, ongoing economic models, and early-stage policy evaluations.
  • Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles: Findings are published in high-impact journals across health economics, public health, and economics, including outlets such as Health Economics, Frontiers in Public Health, China Economic Review, and various China-specific CDC or policy-focused publications.
  • Policy & Applied Reports: Because of the Centre’s close partnerships with local health institutions (e.g., Ningbo CDC, Ningbo Number One Hospital), a portion of the research output is designed to be directly applicable to regional health planning, hospital management, and epidemic prevention efforts.