Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences

Professor Toni Ashton

Position:	Professor of Health Economics Health Systems School of Population Health
Phone:	+64 9 373 7599 ext 86136

Email:	toni.ashton@auckland.ac.nz
Office:	730-457

Research interests

Research focus

Toni’s research interests lie in the field of funding and organisation of health services from an economic perspective. Most of her recent research has been on various aspects of health reform in New Zealand over the past two decades. She is also interested in the study of comparative health systems and in the general application of economic theory and methods to health sector practices and performance. In addition to her academic work, Toni has been a member of several government working parties and taskforces, and has undertaken a range of consultancies, including some for the World Health Organization.

Toni is on the Editorial Board of the following journals:

Health Policy
Healthcare Policy
International Journal of Technology Assessment in Healthcare
Isreal Journal of Health Policy Research

Recent publications (2010-present)

Book chapters

OKMA, K. CRIVELLI, L., ASHTON, T., BOLGANI, I.,. CHENG, T-M.,et al. ‘“Under the Radar Screen: Health Care Reforms in Seven Small Countries’ in G. Cohen, BW Ansell, J Gingrich and RH Cox (eds) Social Policy in the Smaller European Union States. New York: Berghahn Books. 2012.
ASHTON. T. AND BAUTISTA, M. ‘Purchasing Health Services in New Zealand: Lessons for Cambodia’. Improving Health Sector Performance: Institutions, Motivations and Incentives: H. Jalilian and V. Sen (eds). 2011, pp. 136-148.
ASHTON, T., TENBENSEL, T. ‘Reform and Re-reform of the New Zealand Health System.’ in KGH Okma and L Crivelli (eds) Six Countries, Six Reform Models: The Healthcare Reform of Israel, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, Switzerland and Taiwan. Singapore: World Scientific Publishing Co., 2010, pp 83-110.
Ashton, T., Tenbensel, T. (2010). Reform and re-reform of the New Zealand health system. In KGH Okma and L Crivelli (Eds.), Six Countries, Six Reform Models: The Healthcare Reform of Israel, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, Switzerland and Taiwan (pp. 83-110). Singapore: World Scientific Publishing Co

Refereed journals

BROAD J., ASHTON T., LUMLEY T., CONNOLLY MJ. Reports of the proportion of older people living in long-term care: a cautionary tale from New Zealand. Australian and New Zealand journal of Public Health 37(3): 264-271, 2013.
JOHN D., ASHTON T., NIRMALAN P., PARIKH R. Cost effectiveness analysis of community screening for glaucoma in India. Value in Health 15(7):A643-A643 01 Nov 2012.
ASHTON T., TENBENSEL T. Health reform in New Zealand: short-term gain but long-term pain? Expert Review of Pharmacoeconomics & Outcomes Research. 10/2012; 12(5):579-88. DOI:10.1586/erp.12.58
ASHTON T., BRAMLEY D., ARMSTRONG D. Improving the productivity of elective surgery through a new 'Package of Care'. Health Policy. 108(1): 45-48, 2012.
ST JOHN S., DALE C., ASHTON T. A new approach to funding the costs of New Zealand’s ageing population. New Zealand Population Review. 38: 55-76, 2012.
WONG, C., JAYARAM, L., KARALUS, N.,, EATON, T., TONG, C, HOCKEY, H., MILNE, D., FERGUSON, W., TUFFERY, C., SEXTON, P., STOREY, L., ASHTON T. Azithromycin for prevention of exacerbations in non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis (EMBRACE): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. The Lancet. 380: 660-667, 2012.
LAL, A., MOODIE, M., ASHTON, T., SIAHPUSH, M., SWINBURN, B. Health care and lost productivity costs of overweight and obesity in New Zealand. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health. 2012; 36:550-6. doi: 10.1111/j.1753-6405.2012.00931.x
ASHTON, T. and SOPINA, E. Value for money from HPV vaccination an cervical screening. Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics 8 (7): 1–3; July 2012; doi:10.4161/hv.19807
TENBENSEL, T., EAGLE, S. and ASHTON, T. Comparing health policy agendas across eleven high income countries: Islands of difference in a sea of similarity. Health Policy, 2012. Doi: 10.1016/j.healthpol.2012.04.011
JAYARAM L, WONG CA, KARALUS N, EATON T, TONG C, HOCKEY H, MILNE D, FERGUSON W, TUFFERY C, SEXTON P, ASHTON, T. Azithromycin decreases exacerbations in non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis. Respirology 17:35-35 01 Apr 2012
CULLEN, J., BRAMLEY, D., ARMSTRONG, D., BUTLER, L. ROUSE, P. ASHTON, T Increasing productivity, reducing cost and improving quality in Elective Surgery in New Zealand – the Waitemata DHB joint arthroplasty pilot. Internal Medicine, 2012. Doi:: 10.1111/j.1445-5994.2012.02815.x , 2012.
KOLT, G., SCHOFIELD, G., KERSE, N., GARRET, N., ASHTON, T. AND PATEL, A. ‘Healthy Steps trial: Effectiveness of a pedometer-based Green Prescription for low-active older adults - randomized controlled trial’. Annals of Family Medicine, 2012;206-212. doi:10.1370/afm.1345.
JONES, P., CHALMERS, L. , WELLS, S., AMERATUNGA, S., CARSWELL, P., ASHTON T., CURTIS E., REID P., STEWART J., HARPER A., TENBENSEL. T. Implementing performance improvement in New Zealand emergency departments: the six hour time target policy national research project protocol. BMC Health Services Research, 12 (45):, 2012. doi:10.1186/1472-6963-12-45, 2012.
NORTH, N.H., LEUNG, W., ASHTON, T., RASMUSSEN, E., HUGHES, F., FINLAYSON, M.P., Nurse turnover in New Zealand: costs and relationships with staffing practices and patient outcomes. Journal of Nursing Management, 2012. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2834.2012.01371.x
LEUNG, W., ASHTON, T., KOLT G., SCHOFIELD, G., GARRETT, N., KERSE, N. and PATEL, A. ‘Cost-effectiveness of pedometer-based versus time-based Green Prescriptions: The Healthy Steps Study’. Australian Journal of Primary Health. 2012. doi.org/10.1071/PY11028
SOPINA E., ASHTON T. ‘Cost-effectiveness of a cervical screening programme with HPV Vaccine.’ International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care. 27(4): 290-297, 2011 IF: 1.794)
O’SULLIVAN J., ASHTON T. ‘A minimum income for healthy living: older New Zealanders’. Ageing and Society. Doi:10.1017/So144686X11000559. (IF:1.032)
SILVA, M., ASHTON, T., MCNEILL, R. ‘Improving termination of pregnancy services in New Zealand’. New Zealand Medical Journal. 124(1339). 29 July 2011
SILVA, M., MCNEILL, R., ASHTON, T. ‘Factors affecting delays in first trimester pregnancy termination services in New Zealand’. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health. 35(2): 140-145, 2011.(IF: 1.529)
Panattoni, L., Vaithianathan, R., Ashton, T., Lewis, G. (2011). Predictive risk modelling in health: options for New Zealand and Australia. Australian Health Review, 35. 45-51
Ashton, T. (2010). The benefits and risks of DHBs contracting out elective procedures to private providers. New Zealand Medical Journal, 1314(123). 1314
Silva, M., McNeill, R., Ashton, T. (2010). Ladies in waiting: the timeliness of first trimester pregnancy termination services in New Zealand. Reproductive Health, 7(19), 2010. doi:10.1186/1742-4755-7-19 (IF: 1.06)
ASHTON, T. ‘The benefits and risks of DHBs contracting out elective procedures to private providers’. New Zealand Medical Journal. 123(1341), 14 May 2010.