Project Area: Health policy and systems research
Project Summary
Biologics have heralded a paradigm shift in the management of chronic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), as well as debilitating conditions like cancer. The use of these life-changing and life-saving medicines is rising, driven by an ageing demographic and advances in therapeutics. However, the prohibitive cost of biologics makes access challenging for many. Ireland’s High-Tech Drug Scheme (HTS), established by the Health Service Executive (HSE), facilitates access to these medicines in the community. The HTS accounts for an increasing share of healthcare spending, growing from €379 million in 2012 to €794 million in 2020. The cost of biologics is offset by reduction in disability-related expenditure, such as hospitalisations, by improving patient outcomes.
This mixed-methods project will integrate evidence synthesis and pharmacoepidemiologic analyses of national databases with in-depth qualitative experiential information from patients, caregivers, and prescribers. Evidence-based recommendations will optimise healthcare services and improve patient outcomes.
The Biologics Impact on Patient Care and Treatment (Bio-ImPaCT) project will investigate key drivers of biologic costs and their implications as follows:
- Conduct a rapid and living review of international evidence on the impact of biologics on healthcare utilisation (e.g., emergency department visits and hospitalisations);
- Perform time series analyses of Irish and Swedish data to evaluate trends in, and assess impact of policy changes such as reimbursements on, drug costs and healthcare utilisation linked to biologics;.
- Quantify biologics wastage (e.g., leakage due to expiry) and associated costs;.
- Engage patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals to understand the barriers and facilitators influencing biologics use.
- Disseminate findings to key stakeholders to inform strategies for optimising biologics use and resource allocation.
To ensure a holistic and impactful approach, Bio-ImPaCT will integrate Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) throughout the project, with the proposal co-designed alongside PPI contributors. Patients and caregivers, as primary beneficiaries of biologics, provide invaluable insights into lived experiences, treatment challenges, and unmet needs. Their input will shape research priorities, refine methodologies, and guide interpretation of findings to ensure relevance and practicality. Co-designed dissemination strategies will help ensure results resonate with policymakers, healthcare providers, and other stakeholders, fostering real-world impact. Additionally, stakeholder involvement will include healthcare professionals and policymakers at local, national, and international levels across primary and secondary care. This engagement will capture diverse perspectives, enhance understanding of biologics-related challenges and opportunities, and support the development of actionable, context-sensitive recommendations to inform healthcare policy and practice.”
Skills Required
(If applying for this project you will be asked to outline how you meet the skills required below)
Essential Skills
- Academic Qualifications
a. A degree in a healthcare discipline, health economics, epidemiology, statistics, or a related discipline is mandatory. - Flexibility and Problem-Solving
a. Ability to adapt to challenges, such as navigating data access or resolving methodological issues, while maintaining progress on project objectives. - Interdisciplinary Collaboration
a. Ability to work within a multidisciplinary team that includes public health experts, epidemiologists, economists, clinicians, and pharmacists. - Scientific Writing
a. Strong academic writing skills for preparing manuscripts that adhere to high scientific standards and align with project objectives. - Communication and Stakeholder Engagement
a. Strong communication skills to liaise effectively with co-leads, stakeholders, and organizations such as members of the health service and international collaborations.
b. Ability to collaborate with Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) partners to ensure the research reflects patient and caregiver perspectives.
Desirable Skills
- Knowledge of Healthcare Systems
a. Familiarity with the Irish healthcare system, particularly the structure and utility of datasets like the Hospital In-Patient Enquiry (HIPE) and registry datasets.
b. Understanding of the High-Tech Drug Scheme (HTS) and healthcare utilization costing reports. - Stakeholder Engagement Expertise
a. Experience engaging with stakeholders at local, national, and international levels across primary and secondary care settings.
b. Skills in facilitating dialogue with healthcare professionals, policymakers, and patient advocacy groups to capture diverse perspectives. - PPI Experience
a. Prior involvement in Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) activities, including co-designing research methodologies and disseminating findings to stakeholders. - Data Access and Application Proficiency
a. Understanding of dataset structures, including reviewing data dictionaries to extract and analyse relevant variables. - Statistical and Analytical Proficiency
a. Experience in statistical analyses, particularly in handling large national and international healthcare datasets.
b. Ability to perform data management, cleaning, and preparation to ensure accuracy, consistency, and readiness for analysis.
c. Proficiency with statistical software such as R, Stata, or SAS for conducting robust analyses. - Understanding of qualitative approaches
a. Experience of collecting and analysing qualitative data. - Project Management
a. Ability to coordinate complex workflows, including managing datasets, facilitating data access, and maintaining alignment with project timelines and goals.
b. Experience in addressing challenges during data collection and analysis. - Interdisciplinary collaboration
a. Experience in integrating input from diverse disciplines into cohesive research outputs. - Scientific Writing
a. Experience in drafting reports and publications based on quantitative and qualitative findings.
Supervisory team:
Dr Éilis J. O’Reilly, PI/Primary Supervisor
Senior Lecturer in Epidemiological Methods, School of Public Health, University College Cork
Prof. Laura J. Sahm, Professor of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, University College Cork
Dr Edel Burton, Lecturer in Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, University College Cork; Clinical Pharmacist, Pharmacy Department, Bon Secours Hospital Cork
This project will be based in UCC.
