An organisation conducting research into how the Irish health service can best deliver services to patients is to receive €2.5 million in Government-backed funding over the next four years.
The Centre in Ireland for Clinical Evidence Reviews (Cicer) is to receive the money to support research intended to help shape clinical guidelines and work around patient safety.
The funds have been awarded by the Health Research Board (HRB), following an open competition.
“In an age of disinformation, gathering high-quality, evidence-based information is more important than ever,” said Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, making the announcement.
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“Clinical guidelines based on the best available evidence help our healthcare workers provide healthcare that is up to date, effective and consistent. Implementing these guidelines can improve health outcomes for patients, reduce variation in practice and improve the quality of clinical decisions.”
The funding is intended to support Cicer in its efforts to review the clinical and cost-effectiveness of interventions, assess budgetary implications of implementing guidelines and review guidelines produced overseas with a view to how they might be implemented in Ireland.
Dr Máirín Ryan, director of health technology assessment at Hiqa (the Health Information and Quality Authority) and Cicer principal investigator, said Cicer had “provided rigorous methodological support to over a dozen National Clinical Guidelines, from diabetes care to systems for early detection and management of clinical deterioration in hospitals.
“This new HRB grant will support patient and public involvement and allows us to continue synthesising up-to-date international evidence to inform crucial decisions for patients in Ireland.”
Dr Mairead O’Driscoll, chief executive of the HRB, said “a key feature in this phase of investment is to enhance the role of Cicer within the national and global evidence ecosystem”.
“Through connecting with other centres in the wider evidence support and methodological research community, Cicer can enhance co-ordination, reduce duplication and advance best practice in evidence support for guideline development.”
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