Conducting and Interpreting Appropriate Hypotheses Tests (Part 2)

Catherine Comiskey CI and Hypothesis tests part 2 Hypothesis Testing   - Developing Null and Alternative Hypotheses   - Type I and Type II Errors   - Population Mean:  s Known   - Population Mean:  s Unknown   - Population Proportion  

Conducting and Interpreting Appropriate Hypotheses Tests

Catherine Comiskey CI and Hypothesis tests part 1 Hypothesis Testing   -  Developing Null and Alternative Hypotheses   -  Type I and Type II Errors   -   Population Mean:  S Known   -  Population Mean:  S Unknown   -  Population Proportion  

Health Impact Assessment Screening tool

The screening tool provides assistance to those conducting HIA to quickly and systematically establish whether a particular policy, programme or project has an impact on health and whether a HIA is appropriate or necessary

Health Impact Assessment Guidance (2009)

This document describes Health Impact Assessment (HIA) and the steps involved in HIA.  It gives advice based on the experience of HIA practitioners and provides tools to help carry out these steps and adapt HIA to local circumstances. This guidance manual explains what Health Impact Assessment (HIA) is and the stages involved in conducting it. It has been revised and updated based on the experience of HIA practitioners and includes new tools which have been developed to assist each step of the HIA process. It aims to provide a user friendly and practical framework to guide policy-makers and practitioners in undertaking HIA. All HIA tools contained in this guidance and further information on HIA may be found at http://www.publichealth.ie/hia

Annual Report to the Equality Commission 01-02 (PDF 103 KB)

The Department and its associated bodies are committed to jointly taking forward the Statutory equality obligations placed on them by Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998. This has involved collaboration in drafting and submitting their Equality Schemes and then in jointly conducting a 2-stage consultation exercise on the equality implications of our policies. Stage 1 papers were issued in November/December 2000 seeking views, amongst other things, on the equality implications of our policies, and a composite Stage 2 paper in April 2001setting out the conclusions reached on the screening of policies and proposals for an Equality Impact Assessment programme. åÊ

Proceedings of the National Conference on the assessment of Older People's Health and Social Care Needs and Preferences

The Conference took place on May 30th, 2002 in the Royal Marine Hotel, Dun Laoigaire. It attracted over 250 delegates from across the statutory, voluntary and private sectors and the interest that was expressed in the Conference was indicative of the growing recognition of the importance of establishing a more co-ordinated way of conducting health and social care assessments for older people. The Conference provided the opportunity to both discuss the necessity for a standardised approach to conducting assessments and to explore the merits of establishing a national framework for the multi-disciplinary assessment of older people’s health and social care needs and preferences.   Download document here

North South Feasibility Study - Final Report 2009

This Study was jointly commissioned by the Department of Health and Children in Ireland and the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety in Northern Ireland. The main purpose of the Study is to develop a strategic framework for taking forward on a North-South basis future collaborative work in health and social care and in planning and delivering health and social care services, as may be appropriate. The Study sets out examples of current North-South cooperation and Identifies a number of potential areas within which further collaborative work may benefit people living in each jurisdiction. A participative approach was adopted in conducting this work and the outcome represents the collective views of key professionals and managers in both healthcare systems. While North-South collaboration on health related issues is not new, what this Study provides is a structured approach to its ongoing development, with clearly identified areas for further cooperation and explicit roles and responsibilities for Departments and Agencies in both jurisdictions.   Click here to download PDF 213KB

Implementation of the Action Plan for Health Research 2009-13 - First year report 2009-2010

In November 2009 the Government published an Action Plan for Health Research. The Plan was prepared by the Health Research Group following a commitment set out in Building Ireland’s Smart Economy (December 2008). The Action Plan, which was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Science, Technology and Innovation, provides the lead on national priorities and resource allocation in health research. The Action Plan was prepared to prioritise a programme of actions essential to creating a health research system which supports outstanding individuals, working in world class facilities and conducting leading edge research focused on the needs of patients and the public. The HRG is committed to measuring the success of the Action Plan by the extent to which it meets these deliverables by 2013. One year on, this report reviews the progress being made to implement the Plan.  

A Sociological Analysis of Contemporary Irish Social Drinking Patterns

This thesis seeks to provide an understanding of contemporary Irish social drinking patterns by conducting a detailed analysis of the evolving sociological theories of alcohol consumption in Ireland. ‘Alcohol is a social drug which, to this day, evokes the divisive moral qualities that originated, or at least were solidified, in the last century with the birth of temperance movements’ (Cassidy, 1997:175). The temperance movement in Ireland under Father Mathew, a legacy which still reverberates in Irish society, served to further ingrain the ‘image of the whisky drinking Irishman’ (Ibid: 17). This is seen in such work as Stivers (1976) who uses sociological labelling theory to provide verification of a deviant Irish status, biologically, socially and culturally predisposed to alcohol. The author argues that these temperance movements sought to remove the linkages of alcohol and “Irishness” but this quasi-stigmatisation process created a “self-fulfilling prophecy”, which further abetted the legitimisation of alcohol within cultural spheres. The tourism industry, in connection with drink manufacturers, has had a monumental role in alcohol’s contemporary position within the upper echelons of Irish culture and heritage. Their hand in the commodification of “Stage Irishy”, seen as “craic”, has further entrenched the links between consumption of alcohol and the consumption of Irish Identity “McGovern, 2002). Furthermore, commercial interests are keen to cash in and maintain the dominance of alcohol in Irish society. This thesis concludes that this factor, in connection with the accelerated modernisation that Ireland has experienced since the mid-nineties, has malleable consequences for Irish society. As Keohane and Kuhling (2007) assert, post-modern consumption patterns of excess and ‘insatiability’ have been introduced into contemporary Irish drinking patterns and are affecting the nature of alcohol consumption in Ireland.This resource was contributed by The National Documentation Centre on Drug Use.

Drug Misuse in Dublin, July 1982

In this report for the Medico Social Research Board the author provides an overview of the drug problem in Dublin's inner city. On 12-14 July 1982 the author visited the Sean Mac Dermott street area of the inner city, the Eastern Health Board, Coolmine Community, Jervis Street Drug Advisory and Treatment Centre and the Garda drug squad. From these interviews, the author concludes that Dublin's inner city has a serious problem with drug use, in particular the injecting of heroin. Heroin addicts steal on a regular basis to fund their habit, and frequently inject themselves in public spaces of local authority flat complexes. Despite the best efforts of the support services (Social workers, doctors, Gardai and clergy) there is a high prevalence of injecting heroin use. There has also been abuse of prescription services. Addicts frequently seek opiates from a small number of doctors who are willing to prescribe. Drug education is severely lacking or inappropriate, according to the author, and the Garda drug squad is severely over stretched. While cannabis use is said to be prevalent in Dublin's two universities, drug use has been most problematic in the deprived parts of the city. The author presents the drug epidemic, which has developed over the last two years, in moral terms, and wonders if Christian society, in particular the Catholic Church, and the health authorities can do anything to stop the crisis from worsening. Recommendations include; conducting epidemiological surveys to determine the true extent of the problem, cross disciplinary co-operation, greater drug awareness through education, and more rehabilitation units.This resource was contributed by The National Documentation Centre on Drug Use.

Amphetamines for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in adults.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a childhood onset psychiatric disorder that can persist into adulthood in up to 50% of patients. From a clinical point of view, ADHD is characterized by hyperactivity, mood instability, irritability, difficulties in maintaining attention, lack of organization and impulsive behaviours. The presence of other disorders occurring at the the same time is also common, especially mood disorders and substance abuse. It seems that amphetamines could reverse the underlying neurological problems that feature in ADHD, and so improve ADHD symptoms. We found seven studies, which enrolled 1091 patients. These studies compared amphetamines to placebo and three of them also compared amphetamines with other drugs: guanfacine, modafinil and paroxetine. Three amphetamine derivatives were investigated: dexamphetamine, lisdexamphetamine and mixed amphetamine salts (MAS). Treatment length ranged from two to 20 weeks. All amphetamines improved ADHD symptoms but overall they did not make people more likely to stay in treatment and were associated with a higher risk of treatment ending early due to adverse events. One type of amphetamine, mixed amphetamine salts, did, however, increase retention in treatment. We found no evidence that higher doses worked better than lower ones. We did not find any difference in effectiveness between immediate-release and sustained-release formulations. Therefore, it appears that short-term treatment with amphetamines reduces ADHD symptoms, but studies assessing the effects of amphetamines for longer periods of time are needed.This resource was contributed by The National Documentation Centre on Drug Use.

Preparing for Life Northside Partnership

Outline of Presentation 1 What is Preparing for Life (PFL)? 2 Design and delivery of PFL 3 Researching PFL 4 Conducting an RCT in a community setting 5 Making research and implementation work together cohesively 6 Benefits of working together 7 What have we learned  

FLYER: Ethics, Consent and Participation in Research With Children and Young People

  Date: Friday, 14 June 2013   Time:10:30 – 13.30 Location: G13, Western Gateway Building, University College Cork The children's Research Network for Ireland and Northern Ireland in conjunction with the Children and Young People Research Cluster at the Institute for Social Sciences in the 21st Century at UCC are holding a workshop on ethics, consent and participation in research with children and young people. The event will explore some of the complex ethical issues involved in conducting research with children and young people, from the perspectives of researchers, children, families and service-providers.  

Improving Health and Reducing Inequalities: A Practical Guide to Health Impact Assessment

(WHIASU) A basic guide to conducting a HIA. 1. Health impact assessment is a tool that can help organisations to assess the possible consequences of their decisions on people۪s health and well-being, thereby helping to develop more integrated policies and programmes. 2. This document has been developed as a practical guide to health impact assessment. It is designed to meet the needs of a variety of organisations by explaining the concept, the process and its flexibility, and by providing templates that can be adjusted to suit. 3. The Welsh Assembly Government is committed to developing the use of health impact assessment in Wales as a part of its strategy to improve health and wellbeing and to reduce health inequalities. This practical guide has been prepared by the Welsh Health Impact Assessment Support Unit, which was established by the Welsh Assembly Government to encourage and support organisations and groups in Wales to use the approach. 4. The development and use of health impact assessment will contribute to the ongoing development and implementation of local health, social care and wellbeing strategies, which is a joint statutory responsibility for Local Health Boards and local authorities. It can also contribute to Community Strategies which, given their overarching nature and breadth and depth, can address social, economic and environmental determinants of health, and to the implementation of Communities First, the Welsh Assembly Government۪s crosscutting regeneration programme. 5. The development of Health Challenge Wales as the national focus for improving health in Wales reinforces efforts to prevent ill health. Tools such as health impact assessment can help organisations and groups in all sectors to identify ways in which they can help people to improve their health.

Anti Bullying Procedures for Primary and Post Primary Schools - Appendix 4 Checklist for annual review of the anti-bullying policy and its implementation

The Board of Management (the Board) must undertake an annual review of the school’s anti-bullying policy and its implementation. The following checklist must be used for this purpose. The checklist is an aid to conducting this review and is not intended as an exhaustive list. In order to complete the checklist, an examination and review involving both quantitative and qualitative analysis, as appropriate across the various elements of the implementation of the school’s anti-bullying policy will be required.