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.

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.

Codesign and Launch of 'On the Ball': An Inclusive Community-Based 'Testicular Awareness' Campaign.

Introduction: Increased awareness of testicular diseases can lead to early diagnosis. Evidence suggests that men's awareness of testicular diseases is low, with many expressing their willingness to delay help-seeking for symptoms of concern. The risk of testicular diseases is higher in gender and sexual minority groups.

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.

Promoting 'testicular awareness': Co-design of an inclusive campaign using the World Café Methodology.

Introduction: Testicular cancer is the most common cancer in men aged 15-44 years in many countries. Most men with testicular cancer present with a lump. Testicular symptoms are more likely to occur secondary to benign diseases like epididymo-orchitis, a common sexually transmitted infection.

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.

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.

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.

Monitoring of atrial fibrillation in primary care patients prescribed direct oral anticoagulants for stroke prevention.

Background: Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are widely marketed as medicines that do not require routine laboratory monitoring. However, they do have complex pharmacological properties and side effects; hence prescribing and monitoring guidelines, such as the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) guidelines, have emerged. These advocate monitoring for renal and hepatic impairment; bleeding episodes; liver function; co-medication; circulation, and occurrence of side effects.

Medication reconciliation: time to save? A cross-sectional study from one acute hospital.

Purpose: Medication errors during transitional care are an important patient safety issue. Medication reconciliation is an established intervention to reduce such errors. Current evidence has not demonstrated an associated reduction in healthcare costs, however, with complexity and resource intensity being identified as issues.

Multi-disciplinary decision making in general practice.

Purpose Internationally, healthcare systems are moving towards delivering care in an integrated manner which advocates a multi-disciplinary approach to decision making. Such an approach is formally encouraged in the management of Atrial Fibrillation patients through the European Society of Cardiology guidelines. Since the emergence of new oral anticoagulants switching between oral anticoagulants (OACs) has become prevalent.

Cost-effectiveness of a complex workplace dietary intervention: an economic evaluation of the Food Choice at Work study.

Objective: To evaluate the costs, benefits and cost-effectiveness of complex workplace dietary interventions, involving nutrition education and system-level dietary modification, from the perspective of healthcare providers and employers.

Design: Single-study economic evaluation of a cluster-controlled trial (Food Choice at Work (FCW) study) with 1-year follow-up.

Setting: Four multinational manufacturing workplaces in Cork, Ireland.

New Oral Anaticoagulant Prescribing Decisions amongst General Practitioners: Handle with Care.

Prescribing oral anticoagulants for atrial fibrillation patients is becoming more challenging as more alternatives enter the market. While warfarin has dominated the market it is a challenging medicine to use owing to its narrow therapeutic range, increased bleeding risk and requirement for continuous monitoring. The introduction of new oral anticoagulants (NOACs) offers a wider choice but they are more costly and their use also brings additional pharmacological considerations.

A cost-analysis of complex workplace nutrition education and environmental dietary modification interventions.

Background: The workplace has been identified as a priority setting to positively influence individuals' dietary behaviours. However, a dearth of evidence exists regarding the costs of implementing and delivering workplace dietary interventions. This study aimed to conduct a cost-analysis of workplace nutrition education and environmental dietary modification interventions from an employer's perspective.

Obesity, diet quality and absenteeism in a working population.

Objective: The relationship between workplace absenteeism and adverse lifestyle factors (smoking, physical inactivity and poor dietary patterns) remains ambiguous. Reliance on self-reported absenteeism and obesity measures may contribute to this uncertainty. Using objective absenteeism and health status measures, the present study aimed to investigate what health status outcomes and lifestyle factors influence workplace absenteeism.

The food choice at work study: effectiveness of complex workplace dietary interventions on dietary behaviours and diet-related disease risk - study protocol for a clustered controlled trial.

Background: Dietary behaviour interventions have the potential to reduce diet-related disease. Ample opportunity exists to implement these interventions in the workplace. The overall aim is to assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of complex dietary interventions focused on environmental dietary modification alone or in combination with nutrition education in large manufacturing workplace settings.

Right care, right time, right place, every time.

By improving its patient flow, Intermountain Healthcare was able to increase capacity and improve resource utilization. The project's guiding principle was to remove variation from patient flow processes, increase collaboration, and enhance the quality of care. A pilot project to redesign patient flow at Intermountain Medical Center focused on patient placement and care coordination.

The perspective of families of the critically ill patient: their needs.

Purpose Of Review: An appreciation of a family's difficult experience in dealing with their critically ill loved ones has created the concept of 'family-centered care'. The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on the needs of the family during their intensive care unit experience.

Recent Findings: Families consistently highlight three major issues that they deem could be improved from their perspective.

Findings of the first consensus conference on medical emergency teams.

Background: Studies have established that physiologic instability and services mismatching precede adverse events in hospitalized patients. In response to these considerations, the concept of a Rapid Response System (RRS) has emerged. The responding team is commonly known as a medical emergency team (MET), rapid response team (RRT), or critical care outreach (CCO).

Quality improvement in the ICU. A Canadian perspective.

This article will provide an overview of the quality improvement initiatives of the Department of Critical Care Medicine, Calgary Health Region. The Department has a Quality Council that is responsible for its quality improvement activities. The FOCUS-PDSA model is used for various projects including the development of guidelines and protocols.