Mehdi Ammi

BA in Economics (Université de Bourgogne, France)
MA in Economics (Université de Bourgogne, France)
PhD in Economics, highest honors (Laboratoire d’Économie et Gestion – CNRS and Université de Bourgogne, France)
Dr. Ammi’s research spans health economics, applied microeconometrics, and health policy. His research is primarily quantitative, using a variety of methods (e.g., choice experiments) and data sources (e.g., survey and administrative data). He also uses other approaches, such as synthesis and comparative case studies, to study health policy relevant questions in Canada and abroad.
In Canada, about 1 in 10 dollars is spent on health care and the share of provincial budgets allocated to health is above 40% in most provinces. However, the Canadian health care system performance is far from being impressive, by international standards. This raises the question of the correct allocation of resources, one key question for economists. I am particularly interested in studying health care from the supply-side and like most applied economists, I try to find answer to causal questions. My research interests include primary care (especially physicians’ and nurses’ behaviour, and team-based care), utilization and accessibility of care, decentralization in healthcare, as well as public health. Overall, I want to understand how the characteristics of health and healthcare systems can be modified to balance comprehensive access, high quality and low cost of healthcare, and ultimately improve population health.

• Seabrook M., Allin S., Guyon A., Pawa J., Ammi M. “What counts as public health expenditures: A comparative case study of Australia, Canada and England” [Accepted for publication at BMC Public Health].
• Seabrook M., Ammi M., Guyon A., Pinto A., Allin S. 2025. “Factors Influencing Public Health Financing in British Columbia: A Qualitative Case Study”. Canadian Journal of Public Health. https://doi.org/10.17269/s41997-025-01125-2
• Ammi M., Davarzani F. 2025. “Econometric Analysis of the Long-Run Relationship Between Preventive Care Spending and Mortality: Evidence from OECD Countries, 1970-2019”. Empirical Economics. Volume 69, pages 3019–3044. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00181-025-02820-2
• Jacobson D., Birze A., Mansfield E., Wodchis W., Tang T., Ammi M., Guilcher S., Kuluski K. 2025. ““Doing extra work and not getting extra help”: The burden of work generated to manage the “no visitors” policy during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario, Canada.” Frontiers in Public Health. 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1632828
• Birze A., Jacobson D., Mansfeld E., Ammi M., Cadell L., Marcinow M., Kuluski K. 2025. “Moral Injury and the Myth of Resilience: A Qualitative Exploration of Cancer Care Provision in Ontario throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic”. SSM – Qualitative Research in Health. 8 (December) 100626. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmqr.2025.100626
• • Allan I., Ammi M., Dedewanou F.A. 2025. “The effect of belongingness on health and its mechanisms: Evidence from Canada”. Applied Economics. 57(31), 4486–4498. https://doi.org/10.1080/00036846.2024.2364075
• Arija Prieto P., Antonini M., Ammi M., Genie M., Paolucci F. “Political determinants of COVID-19 restrictions and vaccine rollouts: the case of regional elections in Italy and Spain.” Health Policy. 145(July): 105082
• Ammi M., Arpin E., Dedewanou F.A., Allin S. 2024. “Do Expenditures on Public Health Reduce Preventable Mortality in the Long Run? Evidence from the Canadian Provinces” Social Science & Medicine (345) March.
• Ammi M., Desson Z., Doumbia M. 2024. “Non-pharmaceutical interventions and vaccination during COVID-19 in Canada: Implications for COVID and non-COVID outcomes”. Health Policy and Technology 13(1) March.
• Ammi M., Fooken J., Klein J., and Scott T. 2023. “Does doctors’ personality differ from those of patients, the highly educated and other caring professions? An observational study using two nationally representative Australian surveys”. BMJ Open (2023) 13(4):e069850
• Dedewanou F.A., Allin S., Guyon A., Pawa J., Ammi M. 2023 “Prioritization of Public Health Financing, Organization, and Workforce Transformation: A Delphi Study in Canada” BMC Public Health. (2023) 23:544
• Jacques O., Arpin E., Ammi. M., Noel A. 2023. “The political and fiscal determinants of public health and curative care expenditures: evidence from the Canadian provinces, 1980-2018”. Canadian Journal of Public Health (https://doi.org/10.17269/s41997-023-00751-y )
• Cronin S., Li A., Bai C., Walker K., Ammi M., Haggerty J, Hogg W., Wong S. and Wodchis W. 2023. “How do respondents of primary care surveys compare to typical users of primary care? A comparison of two data collection methods” BMC Primary Care (2023) 24:80
• O’Neill M, De Prophetis E, Allin S., Pinto A., Smith R., Di Ruggiero E., Schwartz R., Pawa J., Ammi M., Rosella L. 2022. ““We cobble together a storyline of system performance using a diversity of things”: A qualitative study of perspectives on public health performance measurement in Canada”. Archives of Public Health (2022) 80:177
• Robinson B., Edwards J., Kendzerska T., Pettit C., Poirel D., Daly J., Ammi M. Khalil M., Taillon P., Sandhu R., Mills S., Mulpuru S., Walker T., Percival V., Dolean V., Sarkar A. 2022. “A comprehensive compartmental model and calibration algorithm for the study of clinical implications of the population-level spread of COVID-19”. BMJ Open 2022; 12:e052681
• Ammi M., Arpin E., Allin S. “Interpreting forty-three-year trends of expenditures on public health in Canada: long-run trends, temporal periods, and data differences.” Health Policy. Elsevier. 125(12): pp. 1557-1564 (December 2021)
• Allan, Ian, and Mehdi Ammi. “Evolution of the Determinants of Unmet Health Care Needs in a Universal Health Care System: Canada, 2001–2014.” Health Economics, Policy and Law. Cambridge University Press.  pp. 1–24 (August 2020)
• Desson Z., Weller E., McMeekin P., Ammi M. “An analysis of the policy response to the COVID-19 pandemic in France, Belgium, and Canada” Health Policy and Technology. Elsevier.  9(4): pp 430-446 (December 2020)
• Ammi M., Diop M,  Strumpf E. “Explaining primary care physicians’ decision to quit patient-centered medical homes: evidence from Quebec, Canada”. Health Services Research. Wiley Online. 54(2) : pp. 367-378 (Febuary 2019)
• Li A., Cronin S., Bai Y., Walker K., Ammi M., Hogg W., Wong S., Wodchis W. “Assessing the representativeness of physician and patient respondents to a primary care survey using administrative data”. BMC Family Practice. England : BioMed Central Ltd. 19 (1) : pp.77-77 (May 2018)
• Ammi, M., Ambrose S. ‡, Hogg W., Wong S. 2017. “The Influence of Registered Nurses and Nurse Practitioners on Patient Experience with Primary Care: Results from the Canadian QUALICO-PC Study.” Health policy (Amsterdam). Ireland: Elsevier B..V. 121(12) pp.1215–1224 (December 2017)
• Strumpf E., Ammi M., Diop M , Fiset-Laniel J , Tousignant P. “The Impact of Team-Based Primary Care on Health Care Services Utilization and Costs: Quebec’s Family Medicine Groups.” Journal of health economics. Netherlands: Elsevier B.V. 55: pp.76-94 (September 2017) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhealeco.2017.06.009
• Ammi M. and Fortier G.  “The Influence of Welfare Systems on Pay-for-Performance Programs for General Practitioners: A Critical Review.” Social science & medicine.  England: Elsevier Ltd. 179. Pp.157-166 (April 2017)
• Ammi M. and Peyron C. “Heterogeneity in General Practitioners’ Preferences for Quality Improvement Programs: a Choice Experiment and Policy Simulation in France.” Health economics review. Berlin/Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg . 6(1): pp.1–11 (December 2016)
• Langton, J.M., Wong, S.T., Johnston, S., Abelson, J., Ammi, M., Burge, F., Campbell, J., Haggerty, J., Hogg, W., Wodchis, W.P., McGrail, K.  “Primary Care Performance Measurement and Reporting at a Regional Level: Could a Matrix Approach Provide Actionable Information for Policy Makers and Clinicians?” Healthcare policy. Canada: Longwoods Publishing. 12(2): pp.33-51 (November 2016)
• Lecocq A., Ammi M. and Bellarbre E., 2014, “Le score de propension : un guide méthodologique pour les recherches expérimentales et quasi expérimentales en éducation.” Mesure et évaluation en education. ADMEE-Canada – Université Laval. 37(2): pp. 69-100 (2014)
• Ammi M. et Béjean S, Ammi, Mehdi, and Sophie Béjean. “Les incitations à la prévention peuvent-elles être efficaces en médecine libérale?” Journal d’économie médicale. Paris; ESKA. 28(1) pp. 3-17 (2010)
• Ammi M. et Peyron C., 2010. “Incitations à l’offre de prévention et préférences en médecine générale : l’apport de la méthode DCE.” Économie publique. Marseille: Institut d’économie publique. 24-25: pp.129-155 (2009) ISSN: 1778-7440

• Ammi M., Contandriopoulos A-P. et Pineault R, 2009. « Institutions, organisations et offre de prévention en médecine générale : une mise en perspective franco-québécoise » (Institutions, organizations and prevention supply in general practice: France and Quebec) in : Barnay T. et Legendre F., Emploi et politiques sociales, Paris, L’Harmattan, tome 1, p.57-70.
• Ammi M. et Béjean S., 2008. « Médecins libéraux et prévention : quelle efficacité attendre des incitations financières ? » (Prevention in private practice: what can be expected from financial incentives?) in : Domin J.-P., Maric M., Delabruyère S. et Hedoin C., Au-delà des droits économiques et des droits politiques, les droits sociaux ?, Paris, L’Harmattan, tome 2, p.179-191

• Impact of Delayed health Care for Non-Covid-19 Patients (March 2021)
• “Comment la pandémie affecte les patients non atteints de COVID” with Jonction 11-17 (Ici- Radio Canada, Nov 2020)
• “The unmet health-care needs of non-COVID-19 patients” with The Morning News on 770 CHQR (Global News)
• Collateral Damage: The unmet health-care needs of non-Covid-19 patients (Oct 2020)
• CIHR Catalyst Grant 2020: Public Health Financing and Structural Transformation (Oct 2020)
• Carleton Researcher Receives Funding from CIHR to Investigate Impact of Changes to Canada’s Public Health System (June 2020)