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Contact information

Tel +44 1865 223430

Rafael Pinedo Villanueva

BA, MSc, MSc, PhD

University Research Lecturer & Senior Research Associate in Health Economics

I trained in Economics and Political Science at the University of Michigan (USA) and later received an MSc in Political Science (Public Policy) from Universidad Simon Bolivar (Venezuela). After several years of experience working in two United Nations agencies, lecturing in economics and conducting research in the health sector I moved into health economics. I completed an MSc in Health Economics at the University of York and subsequently received a PhD from the University of Southampton with a thesis exploring the cost-effectiveness of an outcome prediction tool for total hip replacements in the UK. 

As a health economist based at NDORMS and affiliated to the Medical Research Council Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit in Southampton, my research focuses on the economics of musculoskeletal diseases and interventions.

I am mostly interested in using large routinely collected datasets to better understand the resources used and costs associated to the care of patients as they go through both primary and secondary care providers, and their outcomes after specific interventions.

One of my main areas of study has been the costs and outcomes after arthroplasties of the hip and knee using data from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD), Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) and the national PROMs programme.

I am also particularly interested in the impact on health-related quality of life of patients with musculoskeletal diseases whether they have had surgical, non-surgical or no interventions at all.

I lead health economics work packages within locally and nationally-funded programmes on the prediction of outcomes after joint replacement, improved management of post-surgical chronic pain, economic evaluation of novel surgical procedures and care pathways, re-design of exercise rehabilitation programmes, and long-term assessment of interventions during pregnancy, amongst others.

My work is largely cross-disciplinary as it explores the potential value for money of interventions in osteoarthritis, rare diseases of the bone, sarcopenia, and other musculoskeletal diseases, which I conduct working closely with epidemiologists, rheumatologists, statisticians, GPs, surgeons, and patients themselves. The ultimate aim of this research is to improve patients' outcomes by informing public policy in healthcare.

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