An Economic Cost Analysis of Implementing a Frailty Care Bundle to Reduce Risk of Hospital Associated Decline Among Older Patients.

Objective: To conduct an economic cost analysis and budget impact assessment (BIA) of implementing the Frailty Care Bundle (FCB) intervention nationally over five-years for hip fracture patients. The FCB was designed to reduce hospital associated decline in older hospitalised patients.

Methods: The FCB was delivered in two Irish hospitals on two wards per hospital.

People with dementia and family carers are welcoming of a model of dementia palliative care, but sceptical of its implementation.

Introduction: A palliative care approach can improve quality-of-life for people with dementia. It is the preference of many people with dementia to remain living at home until death, with the appropriate care. To develop a successful model for dementia palliative care in the community, it is essential to assimilate the perspectives and experiences of those affected.

Enhancing Men's Awareness of Testicular Diseases (E-MAT) using virtual reality: A randomised pilot feasibility study and mixed method process evaluation.

Introduction: Testicular cancer is among the most common malignancies in men under the age of 50 years. Most testicular symptoms are linked to benign diseases. Men's awareness of testicular diseases and testicular self-examination behaviours are suboptimal.

An economic evaluation and incremental analysis of the cost effectiveness of three universal childhood varicella vaccination strategies for Ireland.

Background: The cost effectiveness of childhood varicella vaccination is uncertain, as evidenced by variation in national health policies. Within the European Economic Area (EEA), only 10 of 30 countries offer universally funded childhood varicella vaccination. This study estimates the cost effectiveness of universal childhood varicella vaccination for one EEA country (Ireland), highlighting the difference in cost effectiveness between alternative vaccination strategies.

A pragmatic dialogue amongst stakeholders on the impact of COVID-19 on Irish cancer patients and healthcare services and lessons learned.

Purpose: COVID-19 disrupted cancer care services in Ireland, from screening and diagnostics to treatments, possibly impacting physical health outcomes owing to delayed diagnosis and treatment changes. This study explores how cancer care and patients in Ireland were affected by COVID-19 from the perspective of Irish policy, clinical and patient stakeholders using a qualitative approach. The findings could inform future strategic and implementation plans for the current challenges faced and lessons learned will be identified.

A comparison of four dementia palliative care services using the RE-AIM framework.

Background: Living with a life-limiting illness, people with dementia benefit from palliative care which considers the holistic needs of the person and their family. However, little is known about how palliative care may be best provided to people living with dementia at home in the community. We examined four exemplary dementia palliative care services for people with dementia in the community, to see what activities they were providing, what were the commonalities and differences, and what lessons could be learned.

The economic impact of the introduction of universal rotavirus vaccination on rotavirus gastroenteritis related hospitalisations in children in Ireland.

Background: Rotavirus gastroenteritis (RVGE), a vaccine preventable disease, remains a common cause of severe gastroenteritis in children globally. Ireland introduced the universal rotavirus vaccination to the national immunisation programme in 2016. In this paper the economic impact on RVGE related hospitalisations amongst children under 5 years is examined.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer care in Ireland - Perspectives from a COVID-19 and Cancer Working Group.

Upon the COVID-19 pandemic onset in Ireland, cancer service disruptions occurred due to prioritisation of COVID-19 related care, redeployment of staff, initial pausing of screening, diagnostic, medical and surgical oncology procedures, staff shortages due to COVID-19 infection and impacts on the physical and mental health of cancer healthcare workers. This was coupled with reluctance among people with symptoms suspicious for cancer to attend for clinical evaluation, due to concerns of contracting the virus. This was further compounded by a cyber-attack on national health service IT systems on May 14th 2021.

Safety of varicella vaccination strategies: An overview of reviews.

The safety of new vaccines under development as well as existing vaccines is a key priority for national and international public health agencies. A number of countries have implemented universal childhood varicella vaccination programmes over the past 30 years. However, strategies differ in terms of the number of doses, type of vaccine(s) recommended, age at vaccination and interval between doses for a two-dose schedule.

Clinical efficacy and effectiveness of alternative varicella vaccination strategies: An overview of reviews.

A number of countries have implemented universal childhood varicella vaccination programmes over the past 30 years. However, strategies differ in terms of dosing schedule (one- or two-dose), type of vaccine(s) recommended (monovalent, quadrivalent measles-mumps-rubella-varicella, or both), age at vaccination, and dosing interval for a two-dose schedule. An overview of reviews was undertaken to assess the existing systematic review evidence of the clinical efficacy/effectiveness of alternative varicella vaccination strategies.

The Women's Health Initiative cancer survivorship clinic incorporating electronic patient-reported outcomes: a study protocol for the Linking You to Support and Advice (LYSA) randomized controlled trial.

Background: The improved survival rate for many cancers in high-income countries demands a coordinated multidisciplinary approach to survivorship care and service provision to ensure optimal patient outcomes and quality of life. This study assesses the feasibility of introducing a Women's Health Initiative cancer survivorship clinic in Ireland.

Methods: The trial https://spcare.

Counting the social, psychological, and economic costs of COVID-19 for cancer patients.

Purpose: Cancer patients were particularly vulnerable to the adverse impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic given their reliance on the healthcare system, and their weakened immune systems. This systematic review examines the social, psychological, and economic impacts of COVID-19 on cancer patients.

Methods: The systematic search, conducted in March 2021, captures the experience of COVID-19 Wave I, when the most severe restrictions were in place globally, from a patient perspective.

Mitigating the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Adult Cancer Patients through Telehealth Adoption: A Systematic Review.

During the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the delivery of life-saving and life-prolonging health services for oncology care and supporting services was delayed and, in some cases, completely halted, as national health services globally shifted their attention and resources towards the pandemic response. Prior to March 2020, telehealth was starting to change access to health services. However, the onset of the global pandemic may mark a tipping point for telehealth adoption in healthcare delivery.

Would universal general practitioner care impact Irish adolescents' utilisation?

Introduction: Health systems' characteristics influence individuals' health care utilisation. Unlike their European neighbours the majority of Irish citizens pay for General Practitioner (GP) care. The current strategy for health care reform proposes universal GP care (i.

A scoping review of the evidence for community-based dementia palliative care services and their related service activities.

Background: Palliative care is identified internationally as a priority for efficacious dementia care. Research into "effective models" of palliative care for people with dementia has been recommended by several European countries. To build an effective service-delivery model we must gain an understanding of existing models used in similar settings.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) pilot screening programme in primary care in Ireland: an implementation study protocol.

Introduction: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a major risk factor for stroke. There is a fivefold increase in stroke risk in the presence of AF. The irregular beating of the heart enables blood stasis which allows clots to form.

Feasibility of a multifaceted implementation intervention to improve attendance at diabetic retinopathy screening in primary care in Ireland: a cluster randomised pilot trial.

Objectives: Diabetic retinopathy screening (DRS) uptake is suboptimal in many countries with limited evidence available on interventions to enhance DRS uptake in primary care. We investigated the feasibility and preliminary effects of an intervention to improve uptake of Ireland's national DRS programme, Diabetic RetinaScreen, among patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes.

Design/setting: We conducted a cluster randomised pilot trial, embedded process evaluation and cost analysis in general practice, July 2019 to January 2020.

Economic evaluation of the Happy Talk pilot effectiveness trial: A targeted selective speech, language and communication intervention for children from areas of social disadvantage.

This study presents a cost-effectiveness analysis of a targeted selective pre-school intervention programme, "Happy Talk", which focuses on language development, by simultaneously enhancing parental interaction and the pre-school environment. Happy Talk (delivered to 77 children) is an add on intervention, and is compared to usual care, adopting a healthcare perspective. Cost-effectiveness analyses were carried out using the Pre-school Language Scale 5- Total (PLS-5) for baseline analysis and the Child Health Utility Instrument (CHU9D) in a secondary analysis.

Assessing direct healthcare costs when restricted to self-reported data: a scoping review.

Background: In the absence of electronic health records, analysis of direct healthcare costs often relies on resource utilisation data collected from patient-reported surveys. This scoping review explored the availability, use and methodological details of self-reported healthcare service utilisation and cost data to assess healthcare costs in Ireland.

Methods: Population health surveys were identified from Irish data repositories and details were collated in an inventory to inform the literature search.

Estimating the economic cost of nurse sensitive adverse events amongst patients in medical and surgical settings.

Aims: To identify the costs associated with nurse sensitive adverse events and the impact of these events on patients' length of stay.

Design: Retrospective cohort study using administrative hospital data.

Methods: Data were sourced from patient discharge information (N = 5544) from six acute wards within three hospitals (July 2016-October 2017).

A micro costing analysis of the development of a primary care intervention to improve the uptake of diabetic retinopathy screening.

Background: The application of economic analysis within implementation science is still developing and the cost of intervention development, which differs markedly from the costs of initial implementation and maintenance, is often overlooked. Our aim was to retrospectively cost the development of a multifaceted intervention in primary care to improve attendance at diabetic retinopathy screening.

Methods: A retrospective micro costing of developing the intervention from the research funder perspective was conducted.

World Café approach: exploring the future vision of oral anticoagulants for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) in Ireland.

Objectives: To explore and reflect on the current anticoagulation therapy offered to patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), potential challenges and the future vision for oral anticoagulants for patients with AF and healthcare professionals in Ireland.

Design: A multistakeholder focus group using a World Café approach.

Participants: Nine participants from academic, clinical and health backgrounds attended the focus group together with a facilitator.