In 2015-2016, the Independent Hospital Pricing Authority (IHPA) appointed HOI to undertake a consultancy to:
- Undertake a targeted live costing study to investigate the impact of particular drivers in Emergency Department episode cost variation to aid the development of a new emergency care classification system.
- Undertake data development work to modify and enhance selected data items in the emergency care data collections to support the implementation of a new emergency care classification system.
- Develop a new classification system for emergency care services for Activity Based Funding purposes, based on a structure agreed by IHPA.
Key costing study activities involved: development of a site implementation plan; stakeholder consultation; hosting a national workshop on the costing study methodology; research ethics approval.
Key Emergency Care Classification development activities included: initial data analysis; data development; stakeholder consultation on the new classification and data development recommendations; report preparation and approvals.
The final costing study and Emergency Care Classification system were accepted by IHPA.