AN ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECTS ON IRISH HOSPITAL CARE OF THE SUPPLY OF CARE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE HOSPITAL. ESRI RESEARCH SERIES NUMBER 91 SEPTEMBER 2019

Walsh, Brendan and Wren, Maev-Ann and Smith, Samantha and Lyons, Seán and Eighan, James and Morgenroth, Edgar (2019) AN ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECTS ON IRISH HOSPITAL CARE OF THE SUPPLY OF CARE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE HOSPITAL. ESRI RESEARCH SERIES NUMBER 91 SEPTEMBER 2019. UNSPECIFIED.

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Abstract

This report provides new evidence on key factors that affect patients’ length of stay (LOS) in Irish public acute hospitals. Overall, the report finds that greater supply of home care and long-term residential care (LTRC) could reduce patients’ LOS and thereby reduce delayed discharges, particularly for older people, in Irish hospitals. This is the second report published from the Health Research Board-funded project, An inter-sectoral analysis by geographic area of the need for and the supply and utilisation of health services in Ireland. Findings in this report build on comprehensive evidence from Smith et al. (2019) on the geographic distribution of long-term care and community care in Ireland in 2014. The overall objective of the project is to provide evidence to inform policymakers about the scope to move care from acute hospitals to other care settings in the community or LTRC (whether for longer stays or shorter-term rehabilitation or convalescence). This project is undertaken in the context of the Sláintecare (Houses of the Oireachtas Committee on the Future of Healthcare, 2017) reforms that seek to achieve greater integration in the Irish healthcare system and move delivery of care into the community where appropriate. The aim of this report is to contribute new evidence on key factors that affect patients’ LOS and the extent of delayed discharges in public hospitals.

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