October 2015 NUI Galway To Host 2nd Annual Frontiers in Healthcare Conference

NUI Galway hosted the first Frontiers in Healthcare Conference in 2014, which was attended by over 140 delegates. The second conference in this series, which is jointly organised by the Health Economics and Policy Analysis research group at NUI Galway and Novartis Ireland, will be held at NUI Galway on Tuesday, 3 November. The theme of this year’s conference is Adherence.

The issue of adherence is a critical one in a large number of healthcare situations. A relatively simple example is how to ensure that patients adhere to the medication that is prescribed to them. Another example is how medical professionals can be persuaded to adhere to care guidelines.

Related to that is the question of how healthcare institutions such as the new hospital groups will adhere to more binding budget constraints in the face of ever increasing demand for healthcare. On a broader public health level, a critical policy issue is how people in general can adhere to good practice as regards diet, exercise, and the consumption of tobacco and alcohol.

These topics will be addressed by experts from Ireland, the UK and the US from a variety of disciplines including economics, psychology, medicine, and pharmaceutical science. And will feature a variety of perspectives including academic, health service providers, and private industry. Particular attention will be given to whether new technologies can be used to improve adherence and the ethical considerations that arise from the use of these technologies.

The conference is organised by the Health Economics and Policy Analysis research group at NUI Galway. The group, which includes over twenty academics, researchers and PhD students, conducts a wide range of research and has particular expertise in disease areas such as dementia, cancer, diabetes, stroke and mental health.

The group works closely with clinical staff in the School of Medicine at NUI Galway and elsewhere, and with leading health economists around the world. The Health Economics and Policy Analysis research group is merely one example of a strategic targeted approach to biomedical research at NUI Galway, which has succeeded in the University establishing itself as a leading player in health related research.

Mr Brendan Kennelly from the Health Economics and Policy Analysis Group at NUI Galway said: “The conference will address adherence from many perspectives so that we can all understand better what factors influence this critical issue. No single discipline has all the answers but by combining our expertise we hope we can contribute to healthier outcomes particularly in chronic diseases where adherence to medication and lifestyle change are often less than optimal.”

The conference will take place in the Institute for Lifecourse and Society (ILAS) Building on the North Campus at NUI Galway.

A limited number of places are still available. To register please visit: www.conference.ie. Registration is free and is required for logistical purposes.

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