Variation in day surgery rates across Irish public hospitals.

The appropriate use of day surgery has been shown to provide the same or better outcomes for patients and to increase hospital efficiency. However, it is often underutilised, and rates can vary widely across hospitals. This study examines variation in day-surgery rates across Irish public hospitals and identifies the characteristics associated with these variations.

The Case of the Cookie Jar: Differences in Typical Language Use in Dementia.

Background: Findings from language sample analyses can provide efficient and effective indicators of cognitive impairment in older adults.

Objective: This study used newly automated core lexicon analyses of Cookie Theft picture descriptions to assess differences in typical use across three groups.

Methods: Participants included adults without diagnosed cognitive impairments (Control), adults diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease (ProbableAD), and adults diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

Place of Death for Adults Receiving Specialist Palliative Care in Their Last 3 Months of Life: Factors Associated With Preferred Place, Actual Place, and Place of Death Congruence.

Congruence between the preferred and actual place of death is recognised as an important quality indicator in end-of-life care. However, there may be complexities about preferences that are ignored in summary congruence measures. This article examined factors associated with preferred place of death, actual place of death, and congruence for a sample of patients who had received specialist palliative care in the last three months of life in Ireland.

Projected private hospital expenditure in Ireland, 2018-2035: What role for demographics, cost, and Sláintecare?

Despite private hospitals occupying an important role in the delivery of acute hospital care in Ireland, an understanding of future spending pressures on these services is limited. Particularly, a key dimension of Ireland's ambitious roadmap for healthcare reform (Sláintecare) seeks to remove private practice from public hospitals. However, to date, there has been no examination of how this reform could impact private hospital demand and expenditure, and ultimately, the capacity to treat public patients.