Health

During the course of 2009-2010, a team of ESRI health economists provided research support to the Expert Group on Resource Allocation and Financing in Health Care, which was chaired by the Director and reported in July 2010. Two evidence volumes on Resource Allocation, Financing and Sustainability in Health Care reviewed the theoretical and empirical literature in eight comparator countries, evaluated the current Irish situation and proposed a framework for health-care entitlements and user fees that would support the delivery of integrated health care in Ireland.

The Sustainability of Irish Health Expenditure analysed trends in Irish public health expenditure, both over time and in comparative context, focusing particularly on public expenditure on pharmaceuticals.

A study on the Cost of Stroke in Ireland, commissioned by the Irish Heart Foundation, and involving the ESRI and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, examined the total direct and indirect costs of treating and caring for stroke patients (new cases and stroke survivors) in Ireland in 2007.

Research on Potential and Actual Utilization of Public and Private In-patient Beds in Irish Acute Public Hospitals examined the impact of public/private mix on in-patient bed utilization in Irish acute public hospitals. It found that despite policies designed to limit private practice in Irish acute public hospitals, some hospitals have apparently been able to overcome restrictions.

A study on Equity in Irish Health Care Financing: Measurement Issues examined how international methods for measuring equity in health care financing underestimate the complexity of the Irish health care financing structures.

Research on the Fall in Rates of Cardiovascular Mortality in Ireland found it could be largely attributed to changes in prescribing patterns following the implementation of the cardiovascular health strategy and the introduction of the medical card for over 70s. Related research on changes in perinatal mortality rates showed a decline over the past two decades in the differences in rates across social classes.

Other research showed that Alcohol Consumption contributes significantly to unintended pregnancy and the transmission of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The study also showed that an individual’s expectations about how they behave when drinking alcohol influence their behaviour over and above the effect of alcohol itself.  

A study on Parents' Perspectives on Parenting Styles and Disciplining Children, commissioned by the Department of Health and Children, investigated parenting styles and parental use of disciplinary strategies with children in Ireland, with a particular focus on attitudes to and uses of physical punishment. The study found that most parents used inductive strategies (such as reasoning with the child). About one quarter of parents interviewed had used physical punishment in the past year, this strategy was strongly influenced by the age of the child and the presence of behavioural difficulties in the child.

The European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions commissioned the Institute to research the relationship between living conditions, social exclusion and mental well-being, using data for 31 European countries.

The ESRI provided survey design consultancy on a number of national projects including the second round of the Irish Contraception and Crisis Pregnancy Survey.