Sustainable Healthcare and Dental Public Health Research Group

Our research focuses on achieving the key goals of access, equity, affordability, and quality across the health care system. In addition, our research focuses on services often overlooked by the broader health system, in particular dental and oral health.

Our work advances skills in oral health surveillance, policy development, community-based disease prevention, health promotion, research and optimisation of oral health services and delivery. We aim to ensure that the development of oral health services is also sustainable.

The World Health Organisation defines an environmentally sustainable health system as one that ‘improves, maintains or restores health, while minimizing negative impacts on the environment and leveraging opportunities to restore an improve it, to the benefit of the health and well being of current and future generations.’ Health systems consume enormous quantities of materials and energy. A more efficient health system can significantly contribute to the carbon reductions required by the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Sustainability integrates a broader commitment of the health professional to social and environmental responsibility.

In whatever health care sector, our work is place-based, collaborative and co-designed. Current projects are focus on preventing diseases and improving population health, particularly among regional communities and populations most at risk.

Our partnerships extend across local industry partners, professional bodies, the national and international communities.

Group Leader(s)

Contact

s.bettiol@utas.edu.au

Group members

  • Professor Leonard Crocombe (Latrobe University)
  • Dr Shahrukh Khan (University of Melbourne)
  • Associate Professor Brett Duane (Trinity College Dublin, Ireland)
  • Dr Ha Hoang (CHM University of Tasmania)
  • Associate Professor Lyn Goldberg (Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre)
  • Dr David Walker (Sydney)
  • Dr Annika Wilson (Student)
  • Megan Smith (Health Economist and Social worker, University of Tasmania and THS)