Dr. Sara Burke

Summary

All over the world, health systems are responding to the major shock of the COVID-19 pandemic. The virus is causing urgent and fast-paced change in the delivery of health and social care as well as highlighting pre-existing deficiencies and inequalities in the health system and broader society. In Ireland, COVID-19 is occurring during the second full year of Sláintecare's implementation - Ireland's 10-year plan for health reform to deliver universal access to timely, integrated care. This research will coproduce a Living Implementation Framework with Evaluation (LIFE) linking evidence, policy and practice that feeds into real-world Sláintecare implementation. In partnership with senior leadership in the Sláintecare Programme Implementation Office, the Department of Health and the HSE, the researchers will scope, document, measure and analyse the Sláintecare relevant COVID-19 responses using qualitative and quantitative methods. The LIFE will initially take the form of a live spreadsheet which contains the COVID-19 responses most relevant to Sláintecare. For each response, 3-4 indicators will be collected which enables monitoring overtime. The spreadsheet will be accompanied by a series of rapid reviews, narrative descriptions of multiple case studies, research papers, stakeholder engagement and formative feedback. These collectively make up the 'LIFE', informing dialogue with the project partners, which is happening in real time (living), influencing health policy and system decision-making and implementation as the project progresses. The LIFE will inform health system reform in Ireland in the months and years after the emergence of COVID-19 as well as contributing to international health systems and policy research.

Funding Agency

Health Research Board

Programme

Applied Partnership Award

Project Type

Health system implementation research

Person Months

30

Summary

Ireland is unique among its European counterparts in that, unlike them, we have no universal access to healthcare. Since 2011, both Programmes for Government have committed to the goal of universal healthcare. Building on our prior work for the Resilience project, the Pathways project is mapping a potential pathway or pathways to universal healthcare through the three components of the research project: - Assessing the gap between current Irish health system performance and universal healthcare, using and adapting World Health Organisation concepts; - Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of different models of universal healthcare and assessing their feasibility of implementation within the current context according to key criteria such as affordability, human resources and complexity of design; - Assessing the organisational challenges of moving to universal healthcare by reviewing the experience of other countries and exploring the current capacity and constraints facing decision makers throughout the system.

Funding Agency

Health Research Board

Programme

Health Research Awards

Project Type

primary research project

Person Months

48

Summary

A new government came to power in Ireland in March 2011. Included in the Programme for Government were the most radical proposals for health policy reform since the foundation of the State in 1921. The new government promised to undo the unequal, unfair two tier system of healthcare, specifically committing to 'access to medical care based on medical need, not income'. It specified over 80 health policy commitments including free GP care for all by 2016 and the introduction of Universal Health Insurance during a second term in office. All this was pledged during the most severe economic crisis experienced by Ireland since the 1930s which led to significant budget cuts including cuts to the health system. The Resilience project 2011-2014 gathered a range of indicators to monitor how the health system coped during the crisis, as well as, carrying out qualitative interviews with key policy makers, politicians and health service leaders. A specific website http://www.medicine.tcd.ie/resilience4health/ was set up to disseminate information and findings from the project.

Funding Agency

Health Research Board

Programme

Health Research Awards

Project Type

primary research project

Person Months

15