9:00 - 9:15
Welcoming address and acknowledgement of country
Speaker: Prof Toby Newton-John
9:15 - 10:15
Understanding the role of practitioners
This session explores how individual provider characteristics like age, experience or responsiveness to clinical updates shape the adoption of new technologies.
We will discuss the implications for training, workforce planning, and the design of clinical guidelines.
Moderator: Prof Richard De Abreu Lourenço
Speakers: Prof Daniel Avdic | Dr Michael Wright | Mike Stephens
Academic paper:
Do responses to news matter? Evidence from interventional cardiology [link].
Avdic, D., von Hinke, S., Lagerqvist, B., Propper, C., & Vikström, J. (2024). Journal of Health Economics.
Slides: Prof Daniel Avdic | Dr Michael Wright | Mike Stephens
10:15 - 10:45
10:45 - 11:45
How workplaces and peers shape practice
Healthcare isn’t delivered in isolation, it is shaped by the teams, workplaces, and systems around providers. This session explores how organisational structures, leadership, and peer environments influence the uptake of new technologies or new work models.
Moderator: Dr Stephen Duckett
Speakers: Dr Giovanni van Empel | Prof Katrina Anderson | Natalie Sullivan
Academic paper:
Radiating influence? Spillover effects among physicians.
van Empel, G., Avdic, D., Khalil, U., Kunz, J. S., Lagerqvist, B., & Vikström, J. (2025). [pre-print]
Abstract: We study spillovers in healthcare by exploring how cardiologists’ treatment choices are influenced by their peers. We employ clinical quality data from Sweden on the use of radiation in diagnostic angiography procedures. To account for endogeneity concerns, we instrument peers’ weekly radiation output using the plausibly exogenous arrival of emergency cases they handle. Our estimates suggest that focal cardiologists increase their radiation output by 0.7 standard deviations for each standard deviation increase in their peers’ output. These workplace spillovers lead to improved quality of care. Focal physicians detect additional blocked arteries, which increases treatment intensity and leads to lower risk-adjusted patient mortality.
Slides: Dr Giovanni van Empel | Prof Katrina Anderson | Natalie Sullivan
11:45 - 1:00
1:00 - 2:00
Harnessing the private sector to drive innovation
Competitive pressure can be a powerful driver of innovation, influencing how quickly and widely new technologies are adopted. This session examines how market incentives perform in healthcare. We will also explore the role of government in regulating and fostering innovation diffusion.
Moderator: Dr Catherine de Fontenay
Speakers: Dr Maria Wiśniewska | Dr Sharon Hakkennes | Dr Shona Sundaraj
Academic paper:
Efficiency or waste? Health technology investments and local service utilisation
Wiśniewska, M., Kunz, J., Scott, A., & Avdic, D. (2025). [pre-print]
Abstract: The adoption of new healthcare technologies is a significant driver of rising medical expenditures. Among these, diagnostic imaging plays a crucial role in modern healthcare systems. This study examines the impact of new Computed Tomography (CT) scanner placements in Australia between 2012 and 2022, with a focus on urban areas - with relatively high initial density of equipment. Using administrative datasets, we investigate three key outcomes: local utilisation of CT services, fee charged by the providers and out-of-pocket costs paid by patients. Our difference-in-differences (DID) and staggered difference-in-differences analyses reveal that new equipment significantly increases scan utilisation and fee charged, while out-of-pocket costs remain on a similar level. Our results contribute to understanding technology diffusion in healthcare, offering insights into investment decisions and their implications.
Slides: Dr Maria Wiśniewska | Dr Sharon Hakkennes | Dr Shona Sundaraj
3:00 - 3:30
3:30 - 4:30
New models of care and the digital frontier
As healthcare moves beyond traditional delivery models, digital health technologies—like telemedicine, remote monitoring, and AI-assisted decision-making tools—are reshaping care and care markets.
This session explores how digital innovation enables new care pathways, the challenges of integration, and what we still need to understand about these shifts.
Moderator: Annette Schmiede
Speakers: Dr Susan Méndez | Dr Kit Huckvale | Bettina McMahon
Academic paper:
Does telemedicine technology affect prescribing quality in primary care? The case of antibiotics [link].
Avdic, D., Kunz, J., Méndez, S., Wiśniewska, M. (2026). Journal of Health Economics.
Slides: Dr Susan Méndez | Dr Kit Huckvale | Bettina McMahon
4:30 - 5:00