Project Area: Population health research
Project Summary
Emergency hospital admission can place older adults at risk of functional decline and iatrogenic harm. Approximately 20% of all emergency admissions are due to ambulatory care sensitive (ACS) conditions, for example urinary tract infection and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, considered to be potentially avoidable through chronic disease management interventions in primary care. The ‘National Framework for the Integrated Prevention and Management of Chronic Disease 2020-25’ has introduced integrated care for older people in Ireland. This includes a continuum of care from the general practice chronic disease management programme, specialist ambulatory care hubs for chronic disease and acute specialist ambulatory care. The roll out of the integrated programme nationally offers an opportunity to examine the population-based impact of this initiative on ACS admissions for older people over time, as well as examining any differences in ACS admission rates in more socio-economically disadvantaged areas.
Research question
At a population level what is the impact of the introduction of an integrated prevention and management of chronic disease strategy on ACS admission rates?
Objectives
1. To examine the rate of ACS admissions before and after the introduction of an integrated prevention and management of chronic disease programme
2. To examine geographical variation in ACS admission rates, with particular emphasis on socioeconomic deprivation
3. To conduct a stakeholder analysis of the implementation of integrated prevention and management chronic disease programme from patient, carers, healthcare professionals and policy perspectives to explore experiences and perceptions of ACS admission avoidance.
Person specification
This PhD will involve working with large data and experience of statistical modelling would be an advantage
Supervisory Team
Prof Emma Wallace (Principal Investigator), UCC
Prof John Browne, Professor Health Services Research, School of Public Health, UCC
Dr Tony Fitzgerald, Senior Lecturer in Biostatistics, School of Public Health UCC
Dr Aisling Walsh, Lecturer in Public Health, School of Population Health, RCSI
This project will be based at UCC.
