Influencing health policy

RCSI has built on a surgical heritage spanning 236 years to evolve into one of the world’s leading research-intensive health sciences universities.

We are committed to making a significant contribution to health and society nationally and internationally by informing healthcare provision to deliver meaningful improvements.

As Ireland’s health service is continually challenged to meet multiple and escalating resource demands, there is much debate relating to appropriate access to diagnostic and therapeutic interventions.

Greater efficiencies in healthcare can be achieved if outcomes become part of the decision-making process and if the health service consistently integrates robust data into its processes. Through our translational and population health research and our involvement in the National Clinical Programmes in Surgery - which aims to provide a framework for the delivery of safer and more efficient care for all surgical patients – we continue to develop evidence-based research on healthcare outcomes to inform policy and improve patient outcomes.

Furthermore, the Healthcare Outcomes Research Centre (HORC) at RCSI aims to inform decision-making at each level of the healthcare system, including those who receive, provide, organise and pay for healthcare. By reviewing databases on a range of surgical procedures, HORC is assessing differences in outcomes and identifying the factors influencing them. This research examines the end results of healthcare services, with a focus on patients’ experiences, preferences and values – informing decisions at different levels of the healthcare system.