Information and Communications: ICT Strategy Vision Statement (PDF 323KB)

The Vision for ICT to Support Health and Social Care Services

Statutory Equality Agenda Information Base for DHSSPS and HPSS (PDF 25 KB)

This draft Action Plan: Briefly outlines eleven broad sets of actions to identify and address the information that is required to meet the statutory Equality duties of DHSS&PS and the HPSS; andSummarises the action points in tabular form, with a note of the roles and detailed tasks, target dates and key groups and individuals involved in undertaking the actions. åÊ

High bi-atrial organization in patients with long-standing persistent atrial fibrillation terminated within the left atrium

Sustained atrial fibrillation (AF) is maintained by sites displaying high dominant frequency (DF). In patients (pts) with long-standing persistent AF (LS-pAF), their spatial distribution and the presence of a left-to-right atrial DF gradient remain poorly known. We hypothesized that the pre-ablation bi-atrial frequency characteristics of LS-pAF pts terminated within the left atrium (LT) are different from that of non terminated (NT) ones. Methods: 23 consecutive pts (59±7y, LS-pAF duration 19±12m) underwent stepwise catheter ablation (step-CA) consisting in pulmonary veins isolation, left atrial (LA) defragmentation, and right atrial (RA) ablations for non terminated AF. A quadripolar catheter (CAT) was placed into the RA appendage (RAA), a decapolar CAT into the coronary sinus (CS) and a duodecapolar CAT into the LA divided into 8 segments. For each segment, 20-sec of bipolar recording was acquired. The DF was defined as the largest peak in the power spectrum (3-15 Hz). The inter-atrial DF gradient was defined as the DF difference between LA and RA appendages. Results: LS-pAF was terminated in 83% (19/23) of the pts: 17 LT, 2 during RA ablation and 4 NT. The figure shows that before ablation bi-atrial DF values of LT pts are significantly lower than that of NT pts for each LA segment as well as for the RAA (p < 0.05). No significant LA-to-RA DF gradient was observed both for LT (0.3±0.5 Hz, p=ns) and NT (0.5±0.03 Hz, p=ns) pts. No significant difference in DF values was observed between LA segments. Conclusions: The lower DF of LT pts is suggestive of a higher organization within both atria compared to NT pts. Our findings suggest that low bi-atrial DF values, but not inter-atrial DF gradient, might be of interest for selecting LS-pAF candidates for sinus rhythm restoration by step-CA.

Meeting the Health, Social Care and Welfare Services Information Needs of Older People

As Chairperson of the National Council on Ageing and Older People, it gives me great pleasure to introduce this report, Meeting the Health, Social Care and Welfare Services Information Needs of Older People in Ireland. The Council has asserted, in previous reports in the past, the need to improve information provision for older people in order to enable them to make informed decisions in relation to their health, social care and welfare services needs and preferences so that they can become partners in their own care. This is consistent with current policy initiatives intended to re-orientate services more towards the older person and to place him/her at the heart of service planning, delivery and evaluation. Download document here

Information leaflet concerning Working Visas / Work Authorisations for employment in Ireland

The growth of the Irish economy in recent years is resulting in shortages of skilled employees in some sectors such as information and computing technologies, construction professionals and across a broad range of medical, health and social care professions (including Medical Practitioners, nurses, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, radiographers, physiotherapists, social workers) Download document here

Sexual protection behavior in HIV-positive gay men: testing a modified information-motivation-behavioral skills model.

This study on determinants of sexual protection behavior among HIV-positive gay men used the empirically tested information-motivation-behavioral skills (IMB) model. HIV-specific variables were added to the model to determine factors decisive for condom use with steady and casual partners. Data were collected using an anonymous, standardized self-administered questionnaire. Study participants were recruited at HIV outpatient clinics associated with the Eurosupport Study Group and the Swiss HIV Cohort Study. To identify factors associated with condom use, backward elimination regression analyses were performed. Overall, 838 HIV-infected gay men from 14 European countries were included in this analysis. About 53% of them reported at least one sexual contact with a steady partner; 62.5% had sex with a casual partner during the last 6 months. Forty-three percent always used condoms with steady partners and 44% with casual partners. High self-efficacy and subjective norms in favor of condom-use were associated with increased condom use with casual and steady partners, whereas feeling depressed was associated with decreased condom use with casual partners. Condoms were used less often with HIV-positive partners. Self-efficacy as an important behavioral skill to perform protection behavior was influenced by lower perceived vulnerability, higher subjective norms, and more positive safer sex attitudes. The IMB-model constructs appeared to be valid; however, not all the model predictors could be determined as hypothesized. Besides the original IMB constructs, HIV-specific variables, including sexual partners' serostatus and mental health, explained condom use. Such factors should be considered in clinical interventions to promote "positive prevention."

National Health Information Strategy

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Meeting the Health, Social Care and Welfare Services - Information Needs of Older People in Ireland: Conference Proceedings

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National Physical and Sensory Disability Database - information pack

The need for information on the service needs of people with physical and/or sensory disabilities was first highlighted in Shaping a Healthier Future: A strategy for Effective Healthcare in the 1990s.  This strategy document identified the establishment of a national database as the means of gathering such information.  Subsequently, the report of the Review Group on Health and Personal Social Services for People with Physical and Sensory Disabilities, Towards an Independent Future, identified the lack of reliable information on the numbers of people with a physical and/or sensory disability needing a health and personal social service and their precise service needs. Download the Report here

Breast Implants Information for women considering breast implants

Breast Implants Information for women considering breast implants The information in this booklet is being provided for women considering the option of breast implant surgery. The aim of the booklet is to assist women in making an informed choice about breast implants before opting for surgery. The information has been compiled by a subcommittee of the Advisory Committee for Medical Devices at the Irish Medicines Board and has included consultation with health professionals and representatives of interested organisations.  Download the PDF

Troubles cognitifs séquellaires de la rupture d'anévrysmes de l'artère communicante antérieure et de l'artère cérébrale antérieure. Etude rétrospective de 56 cas [Cognitive sequelae following rupture of aneurysms of the anterior communicating artery and the anterior cerebral artery. Retrospective study of 56 cases].

The neuropsychological records of 56 patients operated for clipping were studied. Almost every patient remained autonomous and without invalidating motor defect. The present study was aimed at specifying the type and frequency of neuropsychological sequelae and, to a lesser extent, the role of various pathophysiological factors. A main concern was to examine to what extent and at what post-operative interval the neuropsychological assessment can predict the intellectual and socioprofessional outcome of each individual patient. The neuropsychological assessment performed beyond the acute phase showed evidence of intellectual sequelae in about two thirds of the patients. Only one case of permanent anterograde amnesia was observed, probably due to unavoidable inclusion of a hypothalamic artery in the clip during surgery. Transient anterograde amnesia and confabulations were occasionally observed, generally for less than three weeks. A common finding was impaired performance on memory and/or executive tests. In a minority of patients, language disorders, visuoperceptive and visuoconstructive disabilities were found, probably in relation with hemodynamic changes at distance from the aneurysm. Global impairment of intellectual function was not uncommon in the acute post-operative phase but it evolved in most cases towards a more selective impairment, for instance restricted to executive and memory functions, in the chronic phase. The neuropsychological investigation carried out 4 to 15 weeks post-operatively provided satisfactory information about possible long-lasting intellectual disturbances and professional resumption. In particular, persistent global intellectual impairment, persistent amnesia and confabulations 4-15 weeks post-operative were associated with cessation of professional activity; executive and memory impairment, behavioral disturbances such as those encountered in patients with frontal lobe damage were associated with a decreased probability of full-time employment. Pre- and post-operative angiography were not good predictors of long-term cognitive outcome: normal angiography was not necessarily followed by normal neuropsychological outcome, conversely abnormal angiography could be found together with normal neuropsychological outcome. By contrast, there was a relationship between left-lateralised abnormalities on post-operative angiography and occurrence of language disorders; similarly, there was a relationship between side of craniotomy and type of deficits, that is language disorders versus visuoperceptive-visuoconstructive impairments.

Conceptual models for designing information systems supporting the strategic analysis of technology environments

1 6 STRUCTURE OF THIS THESIS -Chapter I presents the motivations of this dissertation by illustrating two gaps in the current body of knowledge that are worth filling, describes the research problem addressed by this thesis and presents the research methodology used to achieve this goal. -Chapter 2 shows a review of the existing literature showing that environment analysis is a vital strategic task, that it shall be supported by adapted information systems, and that there is thus a need for developing a conceptual model of the environment that provides a reference framework for better integrating the various existing methods and a more formal definition of the various aspect to support the development of suitable tools. -Chapter 3 proposes a conceptual model that specifies the various enviromnental aspects that are relevant for strategic decision making, how they relate to each other, and ,defines them in a more formal way that is more suited for information systems development. -Chapter 4 is dedicated to the evaluation of the proposed model on the basis of its application to a concrete environment to evaluate its suitability to describe the current conditions and potential evolution of a real environment and get an idea of its usefulness. -Chapter 5 goes a step further by assembling a toolbox describing a set of methods that can be used to analyze the various environmental aspects put forward by the model and by providing more detailed specifications for a number of them to show how our model can be used to facilitate their implementation as software tools. -Chapter 6 describes a prototype of a strategic decision support tool that allow the analysis of some of the aspects of the environment that are not well supported by existing tools and namely to analyze the relationship between multiple actors and issues. The usefulness of this prototype is evaluated on the basis of its application to a concrete environment. -Chapter 7 finally concludes this thesis by making a summary of its various contributions and by proposing further interesting research directions.

Persistent human parvovirus B19 infection in children under maintenance chemotherapy for acute lymphocytic leukemia.

OBJECTIVE: To report on B19 infection management and chemotherapy schedule consequences in five children treated for acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between May 2001 and February 2002, five patients between 4 and 12 years of age, receiving maintenance chemotherapy for ALL, presented with symptoms suggesting B19 infection (pallor, fatigue, petechiae and pancytopenia in four patients; generalized rash in two patients; acute hepatitis in one patient). Qualitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on peripheral blood was used for diagnosis and follow-up of infection; quantitative PCR was used for viral load measurement. Intravenous nonspecific high-dose immunoglobulin therapy was administered until PCR was negative. RESULTS: Qualitative B19 DNA was found in the peripheral blood of all patients, confirming the infection. Viral load at diagnosis ranged from 10 to 10 particles/mL blood. B19 DNA was detectable in four patients at 45, 21, 40, and 44 weeks, respectively. Chemotherapy was delayed in all patients. No clear benefit of intravenous immunoglobulin was noted. CONCLUSIONS: Infection with B19 is rarely reported in patients with ALL, but it should be suspected when unexplained pancytopenia occurs during chemotherapy. Persistent B19 infection remains a challenge in the management of patients receiving maintenance chemotherapy for ALL, as no specific therapy such as a specific immunoglobulin or vaccine exists. The role of viral load measurement needs to be established in terms of its use in follow-up and evaluation of the therapeutic response.

Improving care for people with long term conditions: 'at a glance' information sheets for healthcare professionals

The Department has produced a series of information sheets for doctors,nurses, those delivering personal health budgets, allied health professionals, health trainers and anyone supporting individuals with long term conditions. The information sheets cover a range of topics including care planning, care co-ordination, managing need and assessment of risk, motivating people to self care, goal setting and action planning and end of life care.Download information sheet 1: Personalised care planning (PDF, 2514K)Download information sheet 2: Personalised care planning diagram (PDF, 2213K)Download information sheet 3: Care co-ordination (PDF, 1967K.