Grace Yoon joined ESE and ESHPM as a visiting PhD student from the Global Mental Health Group of the International Clinical and Health Services Research Unit at the University of Basel in Switzerland. Her doctoral research examines how health and behavioral economic factors are associated with different treatment uptake and response patterns in Lesotho.
Her recent work includes a randomized field survey experiment using hypothetical vignettes in a peri-urban outpatient hospital setting in Butha Buthe district to examine how a treatment supporter may elicit different attitudes towards an ambiguous, hypothetical new medical treatment. These data are currently being analyzed, and preliminary findings may be presented at ESE/ESPHM to exchange ideas and gather suggestions for additional analyses, dissemination, and future directions.
Leseli Trial Evaluation
Separately, she has a planned economic evaluation of the "Leseli" (meaning 'light' in Sesotho) trial, which compares the effectiveness of a brief psychological intervention – WHO’s Mental Health Action Gap Program – delivered in-person only versus via primarily by SMS text messages, to reduce alcohol use. This work will involve examining health and behavioral economic variables with treatment uptake and response patterns within the two trial arms. This builds on the microcosting work currently underway to determine major cost categories by implementation stages of the remote intervention, to inform policy makers of the tangible resources needed to scale-up the intervention for public programming.
Grace has a diverse background in U.S. and global health services research using mixed methods, centered on quality improvement, resource-allocation, and community-based interventions for underserved populations. She was motivated to join ESE and ESHPM for her emerging interdisciplinary interests to apply behavioral economic concepts to answer questions in health services research and implementation science.
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Rotterdam Global Health Initiative (RGHI) is the academic network of global health research and education at Erasmus University and Erasmus MC. Find out more.
