As populations rise and many global health policies point towards community care, it is important that health care delivery meets demand. In Ireland, a study was undertaken on the level and context of missed care in community nursing. The study used a survey to identify the quantity of, and reasons for, missed care; a reference group to develop possible health economic implications for missed care, and a small sample of semi-structured interviews to consider the macro-environment within which missed care occurred. This paper presents the findings of the health economics and qualitative data, and the study's implications for community nursing.
Keywords: community nursing; health economics; leadership; missed care; public health approach; service reform.