Resource utilisation and cost of ambulatory HIV care in a regional HIV centre in Ireland: a micro-costing study

BACKGROUND: It is anticipated that demands on ambulatory HIV services will increase in coming years as a consequence of the increased life expectancy of HIV patients on highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART). Accurate cost data are needed to enable evidence based policy decisions be made about new models of service delivery, new technologies and new medications. METHODS: A micro-costing study was carried out in an HIV outpatient clinic in a single regional centre in the south of Ireland. The costs of individual appointment types were estimated based on staff grade and time. Hospital resources used by HIV patients who attended the ambulatory care service in 2012 were identified and extracted from existing hospital systems. Associations between patient characteristics and costs per patient month, in 2012 euros, were examined using univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: The average cost of providing ambulatory HIV care was found to be €973 (95% confidence interval €938 - €1008) per patient month in 2012. Sensitivity analysis, varying the base-case staff time estimates by 20% and diagnostic testing costs by 60%, estimated the average cost to vary from a low of €927 per patient month to a high of €1019 per patient month. The vast majority of costs were due to the cost of HAART. Women were found to have significantly higher HAART costs per patient month while patients over 50 years of age had significantly lower HAART costs using multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides the estimated cost of ambulatory care in a regional HIV centre in Ireland. These data are valuable for planning services at a local level, and the identification of patient factors, such as age and gender, associated with resource use is of interest both nationally and internationally for the long-term planning of HIV care provision

A Triphasic Sorting System: Coordination Cages in Ionic Liquids.

Host-guest chemistry is usually carried out in either water or organic solvents. To investigate the utility of alternative solvents, three different coordination cages were dissolved in neat ionic liquids. By using (19) F NMR spectroscopy to monitor the presence of free and bound guest molecules, all three cages were demonstrated to be stable and capable of encapsulating guests in ionic solution. Different cages were found to preferentially dissolve in different phases, allowing for the design of a triphasic sorting system. Within this system, three coordination cages, namely Fe4 L6 2, Fe8 L12 3, and Fe4 L4 4, each segregated into a distinct layer. Upon the addition of a mixture of three different guests, each cage (in each separate layer) selectively bound its preferred guest.This work was supported by the European Research Council (259352). We also thank the Cambridge Chemistry NMR service for experimental assistance.This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Wiley via http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/anie.20150577

CV12012

Use the URI link below to search the Marine Institute Data Discovery Catalogue for datasets relevant to this report.This report provides the main results and findings of the seventh annual underwater television on the ‘Smalls grounds’ ICES assessment area; Functional Unit 22. The survey was multi-disciplinary in nature collecting UWTV, fishing, CTD and other ecosystem data. An analysis of the precision, accuracy and sampling intensity trade-offs showed that sampling intensity could be reduced without compromising the utility of the survey. Consequently, sampling intensity was reduced this year from around 100 stations in the past to 47 stations this year. The krigged burrow abundance estimate for Smalls ground has increased by 17% relative to 2011and was the second highest in the 7 year history of the survey. Abundance estimates have been fairly stable over the time series. The 2012 randomised isometric grid design result in a CV (or relative standard error) of 8%. Well below the upper limit of 20% recommended by SGNEPS 2012. Nephrops accounted for 22% of the catch weight from 6 beam trawl tows. Length-weight, maturity and by-catch data are all reported

Garda public attitudes survey 2008.

This report presents the findings from the 2008 Garda Public Attitudes Survey. The main focus of the survey was on satisfaction with Garda service, policing priorities and experiences and fear of crime

Keltoi client evaluation study.

Keltoi is a therapeutic residential facility within the Eastern region of the Health Service Executive (HSE) that uses an innovative systemic model to provide an 8 week rehabilitation programme for former drug users. This report describes the results of a follow-up evaluation survey of 94 successive clients who attended the programme and who were between 1-and 3-years post-discharge. 100 attendees of the Keltoi programme who were (minimum) 1-year post-completion of the residential component of their treatment agreed to take part in the study, whereby the four page Maudsley Addiction Profile (MAP) was completed, as was a short qualitative interview. The cohort was recruited on a temporal basis; the first study participant was discharged on 18 November 2002, the one hundredth was discharged on 30 August 2004. This is a non-random cross-sectional field-study of a sample of 67% (100/150) of the total number of Keltoi clients to that date. Of the 80 clients on whose responses analysis was carried out, 51% were abstinent from all illicit drugs and alcohol in 30 days pre-interview; 60% were abstinent from all illicit drugs but had consumed alcohol in the 30 day pre-interview period; and 65% were abstinent from all substances excluding alcohol and cannabis in the same period. Of the 40% of individuals who were using substances other than alcohol, only five (5.4%) were injecting drugs. Cross-sectional outcomes are also presented with respect to crime, health and risk behaviours, social and personal functioning and employment. In general, abstinent clients (including those who were abstinent excluding alcohol) reported minimal criminal activity and positive outcomes in relation to the other measures

Opiate use and related criminal activity in Ireland 2000 & 2001.

The purpose of the study was to examine the links between opiate use and acquisitive crime throughout the state. The study was a collaborative exercise involving representatives of An Garda Síochána, the National Advisory Committee on Drugs and the National Crime Council. The study found that: Opiate users known to the Gardaí were responsible for 28% of detected crimes examined between 1/1/2000 and 31/12/2001 and Opiate users were responsible for 14% of the cost of crime examined during this period The authors compare the rsults of this suvey with the results of a previous study by Eamonn Keogh (Garda Research Unit) Illicit drug use and related criminal activity in the Dublin Metropolitan area