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Project title

Estimating the non-hospital costs of water-related diseases

Primary Funding Agency

Environmental Protection Agency

Co-Funding Organisation(s)

n/a

Lead Organisation

Economic & Social Research Institute (ESRI)

Lead Applicant

Anne Nolan

Project Abstract

Exposure to water-related diseases (WRD) can impact individuals’ health and result in additional healthcare resource use and costs. These range from healthcare costs in primary and acute hospital care settings. Previous evidence funded by the EPA/ESRI programme estimated the costs of water-related diseases in Irish public hospitals (Griffin & Walsh, 2022). This work highlighted that water-related disease hospitalisations were moderately high amongst children and that certain rural regions and hospitals were disproportionately affected by water-related hospitalisations. The proposed research seeks to expand upon Griffin and Walsh to examine the wider healthcare costs due to water-related diseases. First, while the most severe illness from water-related diseases will end up in hospital, the majority of less severe illnesses may not require hospital care but less complex primary healthcare (e.g., care by a GP). Merging findings from Griffin and Walsh with national and international evidence (see (Collier et al., 2021)) on the link between primary and hospital care, the proposed research will estimate the primary healthcare costs of water-related diseases. Second, using information on pharmaceutical use for potential water-related disease from the Primary Care Reimbursement Scheme (PCRS), this research will seek to examine the pharmaceutical costs of water-related diseases which will not be captured within hospitals or primary care. Where data is available (Health Protection Surveillance Centre data on infectious disease numbers by date, region, and age) this proposed research will seek to identify those populations (e.g., children, those living in rural areas) where the healthcare costs of water-related diseases are disproportionate and identify mechanisms to allocate resources effectively to reduce these disproportionate impacts.

Grant Approved

� -

Research Hub

Healthy Environment

Research Theme

n/a

Start Date

01/08/2022

Initial Projected Completion Date

31/07/2024