Health services research strategic initiative team
Professor Pauline Norris and Dr Vanda Symon are employed by the Division of Health Sciences to strengthen health services research at the University of Otago.
We aim to increase the funding available for health services research by:
- Providing information about grants available for researchers and assisting in the development of grant applications
- Networking and raising the profile of health services research
- Maintaining and strengthening the relationship with the Southern health system
- Providing supervision of health services research undergraduate and postgraduate students
Health services research is the study of the health needs of communities, whether and how people get access to health care, how much care costs, and what happens to patients as a result of this care.
The main goals of health services research are to identify the most effective ways to organize, manage, finance, and deliver high quality care.
Adapted from the US Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the Academy for Health Services Research and Health Policy.Professor Pauline Norris
Professor Pauline Norris is a research professor with particular expertise in social pharmacy including the access to and use of medicines. Her research interests include how lay people utilise medicines and barriers experienced by groups and populations in New Zealand and the Pacific.
Email pauline.norris@otago.ac.nz
Dr Vanda Symon
Dr Vanda Symon is a Postdoctoral Fellow with expertise in science communication, working with Pacific families managing age-related cognitive impairment, and teaching Pharmacy law.
Email vanda.symon@otago.ac.nz
Contact our researchers
Visit our research topic pages for contact details for individual researchers and research groups:
- Care and medicines researchers
- Health in communities researchers
- Health systems researchers
- Māori and Te Tiriti researchers
- Health services research groups
Health services research partnership
The University of Otago is a partner in the Health Services Research Association of Australia and New Zealand (HSRAANZ).
HSRAANZ website