The Irish Department of Health have recently released this document on applications of behavioural science in healthcare. I have worked with them on a number of projects. Behavioural science is a capacity embedded into healthcare policy and was a strong component of covid response in Ireland. There is a very strong link between academia, policy and a number of NGOs in this area in Ireland and it is evolving into a mature and interesting capacity for healthcare in Ireland.
The 10 practical areas outlined in the paper are:
1. Increase hospital productivity by changing default options, such as changing the default to day case rather than inpatient for certain hospital procedures.
2. Increase hospital productivity by reducing readmissions and average length of stay by using improved discharge templates and additional supports.
3. Increase productivity by reducing did not attends for hospital appointments by using behaviorally informed content (shown to increase patient engagement) in correspondence such as appointment offer letters and text reminders.
4. Increase productivity by growing uptake of online services and improving administrative processes by reducing administrative burden through use of sludge audits.
5. Increase productivity by using behavioural insights to support use of key good practices in elective care such as using low-complexity pathways for low-risk patients, using enhanced recovery practices, and increasing throughput in theatres by measuring, communicating and managing the number of cases per theatre session.
6. Reduce influenza’s influence on demand and supply by increasing flu vaccination uptake with behaviourally informed letters / correspondence for the community, and by using multifaceted approaches for health workers.
7. Reduce unnecessary demand for Emergency Departments and outpatient consultations by using audit and feedback with checklists for GPs and by providing written guidance for patients and parents.
8. Reduce unnecessary antibiotics prescribing in general practice through greater use of behavioural interventions shown to reduce unnecessary prescribing, such as education, communication training, point of care testing, other decision support tools, and delayed prescribing. This will result in both financial and health gains, as reducing unnecessary antibiotic prescribing is central to reducing antimicrobial resistance.
9. Reduce future demands and costs by growing cancer screening through better correspondence by incorporating insights from behavioural science into screening offer letters and processes.
10. Reduce future healthcare demands and costs through better food choice architecture by using calorie posting on online menus for fast-food chains, front of pack nutritional labelling for food products in supermarkets, and recommended portion sizes supported by using reduced size tableware in canteens in public buildings.
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