Evaluation of a Public Information Campaign on Organ Donation

In June 2013, the PHA surveyed the Northern Ireland public about their attitudes towards organ donation. At the same time, a process of stakeholder engagement took place with organ donation charities, those on the transplant waiting list, recipients, donor families, and Health and Social Care staff, to inform the direction of a public information campaign that would encourage organ donation in Northern Ireland.

Cervical screening: your results explained (English and 11 translations)

Testing for high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) as triage and test of cure was introduced into the Northern Ireland Cervical Screening Programme on Monday 28 January 2013. This policy change will significantly alter the screening pathway for women with a mild dyskaryosis or borderline smear result.

Cervical screening: the colposcopy examination (English and 11 translations)

Testing for high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) as triage and test of cure was introduced into the Northern Ireland Cervical Screening Programme on Monday 28 January 2013. This policy change will significantly alter the screening pathway for women with a mild dyskaryosis or borderline smear result.

Loneliness and ageing: Ireland, North and South

Loneliness can have a significant impact on the physical and mental health of older people and is of increasing concern for public health says a new report from the Institute of Public Health in Ireland (IPH). The research suggests that approximately 10% of older people are affected by chronic or persistent loneliness. It also finds that loneliness amongst older people may be linked to depression, increased nursing home admission, decreased quality of life and cognitive decline. The report compiled by Brian Harvey and Kathy Walsh for the Ageing Research and Development Division at IPH examines loneliness in particular amongst older people and the policy and service interventions to tackle the issue. It argues that loneliness may be tackled by health and social policies and therefore needs to be addressed in a cross cutting manner to maximise the impact of interventions and services.

2006 Cancer in Iowa Report, 2006

In 2006, an estimated 6,300 Iowans will die from cancer, 14 times the number caused by auto fatalities. Cancer is second only to heart disease as a cause of death. These projections are based upon mortality data the State Health Registry of Iowa receives from the Iowa Department of Public Health. The Registry has been recording the occurrence of cancer in Iowa since 1973, and is one of fourteen population-based registries and three supplementary registries nationwide providing data to the National Cancer Institute. In 2006 an estimated 16,000 cancers will be newly diagnosed among Iowa residents. With 2006 Cancer in Iowa the Registry makes a general report to the public on the status of cancer.

Terveydenhuollon toimintaverkoston kehittäminen

Työn tavoitteena oli selvittää, jäsentää ja kartoittaa terveydenhuollon toiminta-verkoston yhteistyön nykytilaa sekä hahmotella uutta toimintamallia. Työ toteutettiin teemahaastatteluna Pohjois-Savon sairaanhoitopiirin alueella. Kyselylomakkeilta ja haastatteluista saatuja tietoja on analysoitu SPSS for Windows –analysointi- ja tiedonhallintaohjelmistolla. Käsitys toimintaverkoston nykytilasta saatiin yhdistämällä tilastollisesti merkitsevät tulokset, haastattelutiedot sekä haastattelutietojen pohjalta piirretyt riippuvuuskuvat. Aiheen teoriatarkastelun ja analyysitulosten pohjalta on hahmoteltu uutta terveydenhuollon toimintaverkoston toimintamallia, jossa keskeiseksi tekijäksi nousee toimijoiden yhdessä tuottama lisäarvo hoitoketjun asiakkaalle. Erilaiset kitkatekijät ja potilaan tilaa kohentamattomat odotusajat on mahdollista poistaa mallin avulla. Tieto- ja viestintätekniikan rooli toimintaa tukevana työkaluna edesauttaa tiedon liikkumista eri toimijoiden integroitujen tietojärjestelmien välillä. Työssä esitellään myös työkaluja helpottamaan käytännön toimenpiteitä uuden toimintamallin käyttöönottamisessa.

Selected topics in probiotics and prebiotics: meeting report for the 2004 international scientific association for probiotics and prebiotics

On August 2931, 2004, 84 academic and industry scientists from 16 countries gathered in Copper Mountain, Colorado USA to discuss certain issues at the forefront of the science of probiotics and prebiotics. The format for this invitation only meeting included six featured lectures: engineering human vaginal lactobacilli to express HIV inhibitory molecules (Peter Lee, Stanford University), programming the gut for health (Thaddeus Stappenbeck, Washington University School of Medicine), immune modulation by intestinal helminthes (Joel Weinstock, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics), hygiene as a cause of autoimmune disorders (G. A. Rook, University College London), prebiotics and bone health (Connie Weaver, Purdue University) and prebiotics and colorectal cancer risk (Ian Rowland, Northern Ireland Centre for Food and Health). In addition, all participants were included in one of eight discussion groups on the topics of engineered probiotics, host-commensal bacteria communication, 'omics' technologies, hygiene and immune regulation, biomarkers for healthy people, prebiotic and probiotic applications to companion animals, development of a probiotic dossier, and physiological relevance of prebiotic activity. Brief conclusions from these discussion groups are summarized in this paper.

Using standby generators in support of an electricity network: logistics and experience

Electricity load shifting is becoming a big topic in the world of ‘green’ retail. Marks & Spencer (M&S) aim to become the world’s most sustainable retailer (1) and part of that commitment means contributing to the future electricity network. While intelligent operation of fridges and Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems are a wide area of research, standby generators should be considered too, as they are the most widely adopted form of distributed generation. In this paper, the experience of using standby generators in Northern Ireland to support the grid is shared and the logistics of future projects are discussed. Interactions with maintenance schedules, electricity costs, grid code, staffing and store opening times are discussed as well as the financial implications associated with running generators for grid support.

A radar-based rainfall climatology of Great Britain and Ireland

The Met Office 1km radar-derived precipitation-rate composite over 8 years (2006–2013) is examined to evaluate whether it provides an accurate representation of annual-average precipitation over Great Britain and Ireland over long periods of time. The annual-average precipitation from the radar composite is comparable with gauge measurements, with an average error of +23mmyr−1 over Great Britain and Ireland, +29mmyr−1 (3%) over the United Kingdom and –781mmyr−1 (46%) over the Republic of Ireland. The radar-derived precipitation composite is useful over the United Kingdom including Northern Ireland, but not accurate over the Republic of Ireland, particularly in the south.

Climatology, storm morphologies, and environments of tornadoes in the British Isles: 1980–2012

A climatology is developed for tornadoes during 1980–2012 in the British Isles, defined in this article as England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man. The climatology includes parent storm type, interannual variability, annual and diurnal cycles, intensities, oc- currence of outbreaks (defined as three or more tornadoes in the same day), geographic distribution, and environmental conditions derived from proximity soundings of tornadoes. Tornado reports are from the Tornado and Storm Research Organization (TORRO). Over the 33 years, there were a mean of 34.3 tor- nadoes and 19.5 tornado days (number of days in which at least one tornado occurred) annually. Tornadoes and tornado outbreaks were most commonly produced from linear storms, defined as radar signatures at least 75 km long and approximately 3 times as long as wide. Most (78%) tornadoes occurred in England. The probability of a tornado within 10 km of a point was highest in the south, southeast, and west of England. On average, there were 2.5 tornado outbreaks every year. Where intensity was known, 95% of tornadoes were classified as F0 or F1 with the remainder classified as F2. There were no tornadoes rated F3 or greater during this time period. Tornadoes occurred throughout the year with a maximum from May through October. Finally, tornadoes tended to occur in low-CAPE, high-shear environments. Tornadoes in the British Isles were difficult to predict using only sounding-derived parameters because there were no clear thresholds between null, tornadic, outbreak, and significant tornado cases.

Outcomes in patients waiting for antiretroviral treatment in the Free State Province, South Africa: prospective linkage study

Objective: In South Africa, many HIV-infected patients experience delays in accessing antiretroviral therapy (ART). We examined pretreatment mortality and access to treatment in patients waiting for ART. Design: Cohort of HIV-infected patients assessed for ART eligibility at 36 facilities participating in the Comprehensive HIV and AIDS Management (CHAM) program in the Free State Province. Methods: Proportion of patients initiating ART, pre-ART mortality and risk factors associated with these outcomes were estimated using competing risks survival analysis. Results: Forty-four thousand, eight hundred and forty-four patients enrolled in CHAM between May 2004 and December 2007, of whom 22 083 (49.2%) were eligible for ART; pre-ART mortality was 53.2 per 100 person-years [95% confidence interval (CI) 51.8–54.7]. Median CD4 cell count at eligibility increased from 87 cells/ml in 2004 to 101 cells/ml in 2007. Two years after eligibility an estimated 67.7% (67.1–68.4%) of patients had started ART, and 26.2% (25.6–26.9%) died before starting ART. Among patients with CD4 cell counts below 25 cells/ml at eligibility, 48% died before ART and 51% initiated ART. Men were less likely to start treatment and more likely to die than women. Patients in rural clinics or clinics with low staffing levels had lower rates of starting treatment and higher mortality compared with patients in urban/peri-urban clinics, or better staffed clinics. Conclusions: Mortality is high in eligible patients waiting for ART in the Free State Province. The most immunocompromised patients had the lowest probability of starting ART and the highest risk of pre-ART death. Prioritization of these patients should reduce waiting times and pre-ART mortality.

International comparison of wait times and quality of care: A pilot study

During the healthcare reform debate in the United States in 2009/2010, many health policy experts expressed a concern that expanding coverage would increase waiting times for patients to obtain care. Many complained that delays in obtaining care in turn would compromise the quality of healthcare in the United States. Using data from The Commonwealth Fund 2010 International Health Policy Survey in Eleven Countries, this study explored the relationship between wait times and quality of care, employing a wait time scale and several quality of care indicators present in the dataset. The impact of wait times on quality was assessed. Increased wait time was expected to reduce quality of care. However, this study found that wait times correlated with better health outcomes for some measures, and had no association with others. Since this is a pilot study and statistical significance was not achieved for any of the correlations, further research is needed to confirm and deepen the findings. However, if future studies confirm this finding, an emphasis on reducing wait times at the expense of other health system level performance variables may be inappropriate. ^

Patterns of networking in the innovation process:a comparative study of the UK, Germany and Ireland

The research reported in this paper arose from collaboration with Brian Ashcroft (Fraser of Allander Institute, University of Strathclyde) and Stephen Roper (Northern Ireland Economic Research Centre, Queen's University of Belfast). The author is, however, solely responsible for the views expressed. The following sections are included: -Introduction -An Economics Perspective on Innovation Networks -The Product Development Survey -Discussion: Innovation, Networks and Institutions -Conclusions -References Read More: http://www.worldscientific.com/doi/abs/10.1142/9781848161481_0005