Wei Zhang MA, PhD

Assistant Professor, Tenure Track

Profile Type
Faculty
Other Affiliations

Program Head-Health Economics and Scientist, Centre for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences (CHÉOS)

About

Dr. Wei Zhang is a health economist and assistant professor in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at UBC. She is also a Scientist and Program Head of Health Economics at the Centre for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences (CHÉOS). Dr. Zhang completed her MA in Economics from the University of Ottawa and PhD in Health Care and Epidemiology from the UBC School of Population and Public Health. She also completed post-doctoral fellowship at CHÉOS.

Dr. Zhang’s research aim is to integrate theoretical and empirical findings with health policies, services, and practices through the application of economic theories and methods in health research. As a Michael Smith Health Research BC Scholar, Dr. Zhang’s program of research focuses on developing methods that measure and value work productivity loss among patients and caregivers as an important patient-reported outcome and cost component from a societal perspective; and applying these methods in economic evaluations of new health care interventions to inform health care decision making. Her research interests also include pharmaceutical policy and access to medicines, and the linkage of pharmaceutical databases to increase research capacity.

Other Websites

Centre for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences - https://cheos.ubc.ca/

Valuation of Lost Productivity Questionnaire - https://www.thevolp.com/

Publications

Work Productivity Loss

Rodriguez Llorian E, Zhang W, Khakban A, Michaux K, Patten S, Traboulsee A, Oh J, Kolind S, Prat A, Tam R, Lynd LD. Employment status, productivity loss and associated factors among people with multiple sclerosis. Multiple Sclerosis Journal. 2023. doi:10.1177/13524585231164295

Zhang W, Tocher P, L’Heureux J, Sou J, Sun H. Measuring, analyzing and presenting work productivity loss in randomized controlled trials: A scoping review. Value in Health. 2023;26:123-37. doi: 10.1016/j.jval.2022.06.015

Zhang W, Sun H. How to analyze work productivity loss due to health problems in randomized controlled trials? A simulation study. BMC Medical Research Methodology. 2021;21:130. doi: 10.1186/s12874-021-01330-w

Gelfand A, Sou J, Sawatzky R, Prescott K, Pearce A, Anis AH, Lee C, Zhang W. Valuation of lost productivity in caregivers: A validation study. Frontiers in Psychology. 2021;12:727871. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.727871

Zhang W, Bansback N, Boonen A, Severens JL, Anis AH. Development of a composite questionnaire, the Valuation Of Lost Productivity, to value productivity losses: application in rheumatoid arthritis. Value in Health. 2012;15(1):46-54. doi: 10.1016/j.jval.2011.07.009

Pharmaceutical Policy

Moradpour J, Zhang W, Grootendorst P, Anis AH, Hollis A. Modeling tiered pricing frameworks: a simulation approach. Value in Health. 2023;26:351-358. doi: 10.1016/j.jval.2022.11.003

Zhang W, Sun H, Guh DP, Lynd L, Hollis A, Grootendorst P, Anis AH. The impact of tiered pricing framework on generic entry in Canada. International Journal of Health Policy and Management. 2022;11:768-76. doi: 10.34172/ijhpm.2020.215

Zhang W, Guh DP, Sun H, Lynd L, Hollis A, Grootendorst P, Anis AH. Factors associated with drug shortages in Canada: A retrospective cohort study. CMAJ Open. 2020;8:E535-E544. doi: 10.9778/cmajo.20200036

Economic Evaluation

Zhang W, Wong CH, Chavannes M, Mohammadi T, Rosenfeld G. Cost-effectiveness of fecal calprotectin used in primary care in the diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease. BMJ Open. 2019;9:e027043. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-027043

Zhang W, Mohammadi T, Sou J, Anis AH. Cost-effectiveness of prenatal screening and diagnostic strategies for Down syndrome: a microsimulation modeling analysis. PLOS ONE. 2019;14:e0225281. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0225281

Awards

Outstanding Reviewer, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, 2023

Scholar Award, Michael Smith Health Research BC, 2019-2024

Trainee Award (Postdoctoral Fellowship), Michael Smith Health Research BC, 2013-2016

Grants

“Bridging the gap between expanded pharmacist services and payment models.” Zhang W (PI). $250,000. Ministry of Health Research Seed Grant. 2023-2024.

“Care, health, economics, and society: Spillover effects of caregiving in Canada.” Zhang W (PI). $100,000. Canadian Institutes of Health Research Project Grant - Priority Announcement: Patient-Oriented Research (Early-Career Investigator). 2023-2024.

“Connecting clinical research and economic evaluation by mapping lung function to EQ-5D utility scores in patients with fibrosis interstitial lung disease.” Zhang W (Co-PI). $50,000. BC Lung Foundation. 2022-2024.

“Evaluating and informing Canada’s proposed pharmaceutical price regulations.” Zhang W (Co-PI). $581,400. Canadian Institutes of Health Research Project Grant. 2021-2025.

“Improving health economic evaluation: better measures of work productivity losses due to illness in Canada.” Zhang W (PI). $436,048. Canadian Institutes of Health Research Project Grant. 2019-2023.

Presentations

“Measurement and valuation of work productivity loss.” Zhang W. ISPOR NZ (New Zealand) Webinar. Invited Presentation. Virtual. June 25, 2021.

“Factors associated with drug shortages in Canada.” Zhang W. Special Policy Seminar: Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Sustainability. Invited Presentation by the C.D. Howe Institute. Virtual. September 29, 2021.

“Feasibility and validity of the valuation of lost productivity questionnaire in caregivers.” Zhang W. International Health Economics Association World Congress. Virtual. July 12, 2021.

“Cost-effectiveness of internet-based HIV screening in men who have sex with men in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.” Zhang W. The Health Technology Assessment International annual meeting. Virtual. July-December, 2020.

“The impact of tiered pricing framework on generic entry in Canada.” Zhang W. International Health Economics Association World Congress. Basel, Switzerland. July 15, 2019.

Media Coverage

“Time is money: The Valuation of Lost Productivity questionnaire.” CHÉOS News, https://www.cheos.ubc.ca/research-in-action/time-is-money-the-valuation-of-lost-productivity-questionnaire/, February 23, 2023.

“What is the optimal approach to determine prices of generic drugs?” CHÉOS News, https://www.cheos.ubc.ca/research-in-action/what-is-the-optimal-approach-to-determine-prices-of-generic-drugs/, November 17, 2022.

“Older impaired adults with home care support from family and friends are less like to receive formal, paid care.” CHÉOS News, https://www.cheos.ubc.ca/research-in-action/older-impaired-adults-with-home-care-support-from-family-and-friends-are-less-likely-to-receive-formal-paid-care/, August 4, 2021.

“One quarter of prescription drugs in Canada may be in short supply.” Medicalxpress, https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-08-quarter-prescription-drugs-canada-short.html, September 1, 2020.

“B.C. experts gauge bottom line of new drugs.” Business in Vancouver, https://www.biv.com/article/2017/1/bc-experts-gauge-bottom-line-new-drugs/, January 10, 2017.


Contact Details

604-822-0309

wei.zhang@ubc.ca

Office 5521, Pharmaceutical Sciences Building


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