News & events

Dr. Paddy Gillespie of Economics at NUI Galway, in collaboration with researchers at the Economic and Social Research Institute, Irish Heart Foundation, King College London, and Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland, have published a report which examines the cost and cost effectiveness of early supported discharge (ESD) for stroke rehabilitation in Ireland.

 ESD is an intensive approach to rehabilitation in the community used internationally but not generally available in Ireland. The research found that 54% of stroke survivors in Ireland – more than 3,000 people a year – could benefit from ESD programmes that would reduce hospital bed days by 24,000, resulting in annual net savings of from €2 to €7 million, while improving outcomes for patients.

According to the new report titled Towards Earlier Discharge, Better Outcomes, Lower Cost: Stroke Rehabilitation in Ireland, implementing Early Supported Discharge would require a substantial increase in the resourcing of community therapists (physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and speech and language therapists), community nurses and other community care above current levels in Ireland. However, savings from the reduced cost of acute bed days could fund this increase in resourcing. The research found that there is currently poor resourcing of and wide regional variation in community and inpatient rehabilitation for stroke survivors in Ireland.

For more, see:

• ESRI news release on this report

• View publication details (and link to download) at ESRI

• Health Economics and Policy Group at NUI Galway