Abstract
The Republic of Ireland (ROI) has a low incidence of TB. A reform of TB services in 2003 recommended that the delivery of care to patients with TB should primarily be in the outpatient setting, with limited indications for hospitalization. Three hospitals were designated as TB centres. Our aim was to describe the utilization of hospital inpatient care by patients with TB in the ROI. We searched public hospital coding data to identify discharges between 01/01/2015-31/12/18 where TB was the principal diagnosis. The cost of TB episodes of care was calculated using payment rules for public hospitals in the ROI. We identified 1185 discharges with TB as the principal diagnosis. Of these, 68% (801/1185) were emergency episodes of care and 32% (384/1185) were elective. We estimate that 65.1% (818/1257) patients with TB notified in the ROI from 2015 to 2018 who had an episode of care in a public hospital was 65.1% (818/1257) and that 50.8% (639/1257) of those notified had an emergency episode of care. The estimated mean annual cost of TB inpatient care per year in the ROI from 2015 to 2018 was €2,638,828-2,955,047, with emergency episodes of care having a mean annual cost of €2,250,926-2,557,397 per year. The burden of TB on hospital inpatient care in the Republic of Ireland is significant.
Highlights
The Republic of Ireland (ROI), like many countries, has a long and difficult history controlling tuberculosis (TB)
We estimate that 65.1% (818/1257) patients with TB notified in the ROI from 2015 to 2018 who had an episode of care in a public hospital was 65.1% (818/1257) and that 50.8% (639/1257) of those notified had an emergency episode of care
All patients who have an episode of care in a public hospital in the ROI have their diagnostic data collected and coded according to the International Classification of Diseases-10-Australian Modification (ICD-10-AM) 8th edition using a computerised system known as the Hospital Inpatient Enquiry (HIPE) system [17]
Summary
The Republic of Ireland (ROI), like many countries, has a long and difficult history controlling tuberculosis (TB). In the first half of the 19th century, the rapid growth in the population, the poor social conditions, and the effects of the Famine of 1845–1849 resulted in a national epidemic of tuberculosis [1,2]. This epidemic persisted for an entire century. The establishment of a mass radiography screening program aided the identification and isolation of TB cases This coupled with the advent of anti-tuberculosis medication and a national BCG vaccination program brought the epidemic under control by the end of the 1950s [3].
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
