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Dr. Mohammad Hajizadeh is an associate professor in the Faculty of Health at Dalhousie University and is a Canada Research Chair in Health Economics. As the head of the Health Equity & Policy (HEP) research group at Dalhousie, his work centers around producing research that informs policies to improve equity in healthcare. Dr. Hajizadeh initially became interested in healthcare system financing during his time at the Iran University of Medical Sciences. During his studies, Dr. Hajizadeh completed his Master of Health Economics, becoming the first person with this achievement in Iran. He then pursued a PhD in Australia, where his work focused on utilization of healthcare in Iran and Australia based on financial contribution of the patient. After his PhD, Dr. Hajizadeh went on to hold post-doctoral positions at both McGill and Western.
Dr. Hajizadeh’s work concentrates on social determinants of health and the utilization of healthcare systems. By looking at the distribution of healthcare service utilization, his work helps inform policymakers to make decisions that improve the health status of all. By focusing on health policy, Dr. Hajizadeh’s work is intricately interwoven with prosperity in other areas of the economy.
Some of Dr. Hajizadeh’s current work analyzes the utilization of healthcare based on need and socioeconomic status. Dr. Hajizadeh and his research group have found that in Canada, even with equal need, those with higher socioeconomic status use more healthcare services, contrary to what one might intuitively think. Increased socioeconomic status often correlates with increased education, meaning one is more likely to follow up after the initial appointment rather than wait for the health care team to reach out to them. Additionally, as Pharmacare is not covered under Canadian Medicare, those with lower income cannot always afford the treatment plans physicians prescribe and may be less likely to seek help.
One of the keys to Dr. Hajizadeh’s success in research is to keep an open and curious mind, even during day-to-day activities. Many of his research ideas come from the environment around him, such as conversations and the news he’s been exposed to. Staying current with issues that matter to Canadians is crucial in finding areas within his specialty that require deeper exploration. His current work surrounding Indigenous mental health is an example of how data is used to inform policy that matters to Canadians. His research group found that Indigenous people living off-reserve have a significantly higher mean level of psychological distress than non-Indigenous peoples. This work also showed that this is partly due to socioeconomic status, with food insecurity being a contributor. The hope is that information like this can be disseminated and help encourage policy change.
The work of Dr. Hajizadeh and his research group highlights the inequalities that exist within the healthcare system that, according to the Canada Health Act, are in place to “facilitate reasonable access to health services without financial or other barriers.” COVID-19 has further exposed the inequity that exists within the healthcare system but thankfully has also increased people’s interests in the inequity. Hopefully, this heightened awareness continues long past the end of the pandemic and works similar to Dr. Hajizadeh will continue to inform policies that make healthcare better for everyone.
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References:
1- Canada Health Act, RSC 1985, c C-6, <https://canlii.ca/t/532qv> retrieved on 2021-11-04
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