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TRINITY COLLEGE DUBLIN has teamed up with Mount Sinai in New York to publish new research that shows that giving advanced cancer patients early palliative care is not only better for the health of the patient, but significantly lowers costs for the health system.
While previous research has shown the clinical benefits, this new study shows how it also results in significant cost reductions of up to 24%.
Hospital stay costs
The intervention reduced both the length and intensity of hospital stay for patients with advanced cancer.
This is the first time that a study into the economic benefits of early palliative care intervention has been carried out.
The researchers from Trinity’s Centre for Health Policy and Management and Mount Sinai’s Icahn School of Medicine, led by Peter May, HRB Economics of Cancer Fellow at Trinity, studied over 1000 patients’ pathways of care in five major US hospitals and looked at costs associated with their care based on whether they saw a specialist palliative care consultation team or received standard hospital care.
Early intervention
They found that an intervention within six days was estimated to reduce costs by 14% compared to no intervention.
An intervention within two days led to a 24% reduction in cost of hospital stay.
“Our findings show that alongside proven clinical benefits and outcomes for patients and their families there are also cost savings for the health system; a very important consideration in the context of an aging population and changing patterns of disease,” said May.
The team will now look to apply the research findings to the Irish setting.
May added:
Across Ireland there are excellent palliative care services for people living and dying with serious illness but there remains a high level of unmet need.
“High quality research is essential to improving understanding of the potential benefits of palliative care for patients and their families, and for the wider health system,” he said.
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Irish men and women stand beside or British cousins. We won’t let Islam destroy us.
@Censored: Here here.
I wonder what the brave Geert Wilders thinks of yesterday’s events.
@Censored: Islam will destroy the nuclear powered armed to the teeth west through lone attacks like these? I see these lurid headlines are working . . .
@Censored: he is not Islam, he’s a hate filled misguided fanatic. Your comment does nothing to help the kind, peace loving muslims who get tarnished by his actions. It’s not that long ago since the Irish were perceived as terrorists. It might be good to remember that & be more careful with your generalizations.
‘Censored’ falls in with the terrorists by spreading hatred , fear and lies about Islam.
The attacker was an ‘extremist’ he does not represent the vast majority of Muslims … But hey Censored why let that stop you driving a wedge between the west and Islam, just what ISIS wants – a holy war! … Just keep spouting your hatred!
No Ibhar, islam is not a religion of peace and never was. Red thumbs (they still work on my app)
No, Ibhar. You fall in with the terrorists by tolerating them
@Censored: did I say that I tolerated Terrorists? Answer: No.
Are you intolerant and xenophobic : Yes!
@ Mac.Kerel Are you saying Christianity is any more peaceful have you read the many pages of the Bible advocating mass murder, be-headings and genocide? ….and are you saying that all believers in Islam believe in Wahhabism?
Does a Alt-right child child like you even know the difference?
Cause according to your Twitter account you’re too busy posting Pedophile advocate Milo Yiannopoulos?
Is it just me but I think the newspaper companies are in a way glad that this happened yesterday so that people will buy there newspapers as sells are getting lower each year. We see from yesterday newspapers on how the Sun and Daily Mail are very pro-British and well use the tragedy in London for there own gain and propaganda.
@Eoin Mulhern: such a sad viewpoint…
@Fank Pulman: Yes it is a sad viewpoint but sadly the truth.
@Eoin Mulhern: evidence?
Eoin, that’s always been the bread and butter of newspapers. Its the game they are in. Bad news, shocks and public outrage are requirements of the news industry. It’s why you are here now.
They prefer incidents with higher body counts or more graphic violence or sadder back-stories. Just like the medical world would be devastated by some cure-all breakthrough, or the legal profession by an end to criminality. Like you suggest they are in a strange overall way, happy that things like this happen.
@Greg Blake: I just hate how they are trying to scary the public which is the terrorists main aim. They are there own worst enemy.
@Greg Blake: evidence?
@Gus Sheridan: To accuse newspapers of being ‘happy’ and ‘glad’ about terrorist acts is ludicrous. Any psychologist will tell you that readers are drawn to sad and tragic events – we simply prefer bad news, to good.
Evidence? Gus. Citations and evidence requirements for every little point are used to keep students busy and honest. In the adult world, believe nothing including the cited remarks, you’re big enough to check it out yourself.
As for the above, let me guide you to the markets where you can view the proportional relationship between the share prices/profit announcements of media organisations and shocking news events. Knock yourself out.
This type of attack was a foregone conclusion even to the UK’s Security Services. It was never a case of IF but When.
@Mick Jordan: yes the alert level has been ‘severe’ for some time – meaning highly likely
@Mick Jordan: and sadly enough it is same for Ireland. Too many crazies here, and too many coming in freely through NI.
@The Girl: ‘possible but unlikely’ is the threat level here
@Fank Pulman: I thought the threat level here was “Ah, sure, we’ll be grand so. We’re neutral, to be sure.”
@Damocles: Idiotic comment – it now seems that there was, at least, one Irish victim of the attack.
@Fank Pulman: sarcastic comment I think you’ll find.
I come from a culture where we get on with things rather than go through a period of prolonged hand wringing.
TERROR TERROR. Fear fear. That’s all they can do.
Don’t go outside folks the sky might fall.
I know it’s THE story of the hour but what about the people who helped those injured or the police man that died. Instead of he attackers photo ..the sun.. a photo of the police man to show the world the man who went to work yesterday and is not returning.
I’m at work in London today and no one is talking about it. Stick to your routine and the terrorists lose.
@Shane Hickey: I recall the 7/7 attacks once it was ascertained that there was no way of telling whether people we knew who were in London were OK, what with the Internet being clogged and the mobile phone network being turned off, focus turned to the cricket. We mashed the Aussies.
Very similar to yesterdays front page tributes to McGuinness in the UK papers
Reminiscent of Days gone by! Thank God those Days are over, though not forgotten!, For that I thank Martin McGuinness for ‘ converting’ to the Path of Peace!
Any chance the journal will throw us the story on Trump Jr ‘s tweet. Of all the horrible stuff to come from him and his Da I think this crosses a line.
@Mark Gearey: Any chance the journal might do a story on the US bombing a school in Syria yesterday killing 30 people? Twitter outrage is just pointless busy work.
Trump Jr looks and acts like an 80s pantomime villain. Miami Vice comes to mind.
@Linda: I dunno Linda, I dont work for the Journal. I guess they might. Sounds very news worthy. Syria eh? Is there a war there?
@Mark Gearey: Indeed there is! Important stories like that may just be directly affecting the amount of terrorism the west is experiencing, certainly more so than the opinion of some dull minded individual on Twitter, regardless of who his daddy may be.
@Linda: You’re right about Syria. But I don’t think Trump Jr’s tweets are irrelevant. The special brand of brainless hate and suspicion being pushed by the Trump team I think promotes terrorism too. Not as much as bombing people maybe, but it’s all connected.
Did I miss words of sympathy/support for the UK from the Irish Government?
Saw many from other countries across the globe but not Ireland.
Was there such a statement?
@Elizabeth Davenport: Probably went through Government/Diplomatic channels?
@Frank Pulman:
I saw many live tributes via live TV coverage through the night, into the early hours of this morning. Additionally, I have read others.
Particularly interested because I myself am Irish in the UK and feeling uneasy about the lack of evidence – to me at least – from England’s nearest neighbour.
@Elizabeth Davenport: I didn’t see anything either, Elizabeth.
@Elizabeth Davenport: yes Michael d Higgins did indeed express condemnation and sympathies with the British government on behalf of the Irish people, this was reported yesterday in the Irish times. I am a Londoner living in Ireland so i too was surprised it was not widely reported across the Irish media. http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/president-higgins-expresses-sympathy-of-the-irish-people-1.3020622
@Molly Coddled:
Thank you for your response and the link therein.
I’ve searched thoroughly and still not unearthed the President’s message to Theresa May. Perhaps many such communications have, somehow, been buried somewhere along the line.
At least I can now relax!
@Elizabeth Davenport: that’s because the usual protocol is from one head of state to the other ie the queen. Enda Kenny expressed his condemnation (or rather his juniors) via twitter.
Careful now!!! You might be called a racist.
Donald Trump is right you know.
@Vinny O’Connor:
‘Racist’ . . . against my fellow countryman?
The photos shouldn’t have focused on the perpetrator, that makes a hero and a martyr out of him in other evil people’s eyes.
have your say