Hospital In-Patient Enquiry (HIPE)
Healthcare Pricing Office (HPO) within the National Finance Division, HSE.
Commenced as a pilot in 1969. Rolled out to all acute public hospitals in early 1970s. Between 1990 and 2013 the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) managed the scheme on behalf of the Department of Health and the HSE. Since January 2014 the scheme has been managed by the Healthcare Pricing Office (HPO) in the HSE (www.hpo.ie).
To maintain a timely accurate national database of hospital discharge activity that meets the needs of the data users (including policymakers, clinical teams and researchers), through the development and support of the data collection and reporting software, training of coders, data quality, audit, reporting, and responding to requests for data. All acute public hospitals participate in HIPE. Private hospitals are not included.
National- all acute public hospitals participate in HIPE. HIPE data collection commenced in 1971 and is ongoing.
HIPE is the principal source of national data on discharges from acute hospitals in Ireland.
HSE, policy-makers, clinical teams and researchers.
HIPE collects demographic, clinical and administrative data on discharges from, and deaths in, acute public hospitals nationally.
Yes – full data dictionary published on HPO website. www.hpo.ie
There is no national unique identifier. HIPE collects Hospital level healthcare record number. At national level HIPE collects month and year of birth, full date of birth is collected at hospital level only.
Sex, age, area of residence captured by HIPE and included in data dictionary. Equity stratifiers not specifically identified currently. HIPE data relies on information collected at hospital level.
Information is abstracted from medical charts or records and coded by trained clinical coders in line with national and international coding guidelines before entering into HIPE system (HIPE Portal). HIPE data is exported from acute hospitals to the HPO on a monthly basis with an expectation of a time lag of 30 days post patient discharge.
Discharges are coded using the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision, Australian Modification (ICD-10-AM), Australian Classification of Health interventions (ACHI), Australian Coding Standards (ACS), 12th Edition (12th Edition ICD-10AM/ACHI/ACS). 12th edition was introduced in January 2024. Irish Coding Standards (ICS) are published annually by the HPO to provide guidance on the use of the classification in Ireland.
An updated clinical coding classification is adopted every 4-5 years to ensure currency and comparability internationally.
Approximately 1.7 million HIPE records created annually.
Activity in Acute Public Hospitals in Ireland annual reports are available on the HPO website, www.hpo.ie.
Data sets for HIPE discharges are provided to a number of state agencies in order to address specific data requirements. Data requests can be submitted using the online data request form, available at www.hpo.ie. The HPO also manages an online data reporting tool. HIPE annual reports, Activity in Acute Public Hospitals in Ireland are available at www.hpo.ie.
Yes.
Additional information and documentation regarding HIPE is available at www.hpo.ie