Ruvini Manjula Hettiarachchi

My research expertise mainly focuses on applying advanced data science skills and modelling techniques to prioritize health interventions with best value for money. My research sits at the intersection of oral health and health economics, with a strong focus on developing tools that make dental care more equitable, measurable, and policy relevant. My work centers on creating preference-based instruments, such as the Dental Caries Utility Index (DCUI) and ECOHIS-4D, that capture the real-world impact of oral health conditions on quality of life, especially in children and adolescents. The oral health preference-based measure and the utility algorithm I developed using choice models is one of the first in oral health research in Australia. By translating clinical outcomes into economic terms, these instruments enable more accurate cost-effectiveness evaluations of dental interventions. I have been collaborating widely across multiple disciplines in Australia and internationally in health services research across a range of clinical areas including oral health, heart health hub virtual models, mental health, cardiovascular diseases, occupational violence prevention, cancer follow-up care and emergency services. I’m passionate about in cooperate consumer preferences for the healthcare decision-making process using choice modelling, where I can quantify consumers' preferences for different attributes of healthcare services.