Embedding the patient voice into research on spontaneous preterm birth-themes from a Preterm Birth Advisory Council.

Background: Spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB) has a deep immediate impact on patients but also alters their care and experience in subsequent pregnancies. There is an absence of the pregnant patient's voice in the research surrounding pregnancy at risk of sPTB.

Materials/methods: The Preterm Birth Advisory Council was established at the National Maternity Hospital (NMH) in January 2023, to introduce and embed the patient voice in research into sPTB prevention.

Candidacy Decisions for Long-term Ventilation.

Decisions to initiate long-term ventilation (LTV) in children with severe neurologic impairment have recently been subject to candidacy determinations by home ventilation teams that exclude patients based on their neurologic status alone. Determinations of whether decisions are inappropriate require careful analysis of specific clinical circumstances and attention to the family's values. In this Ethics Rounds, we present a case of a previously healthy child who sustained an acute severe anoxic brain injury and was assessed by the medical team to have a high likelihood of remaining minimally conscious or unconscious.

Addressing Technical Failures in a Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Program.

Purpose: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a preventable cause of blindness detectable through screening using retinal digital photography. The Irish National Diabetic Retina Screening (DRS) programme, Diabetic RetinaScreen, provides free screening services to patients with diabetes from aged 12 years and older. A technical failure (TF) occurs when digital retinal imaging is ungradable, resulting in delays in the diagnosis and treatment of sight-threatening disease.

The Role of the Ophthalmic Genetics Multidisciplinary Team in the Management of Inherited Retinal Degenerations-A Case-Based Review.

(1) Background: Inherited retinal degenertions are rare conditions which may have a dramatic impact on the daily life of those affected and how they interact with their environment. Coordination of clinical services via an ophthalmic genetics multidisciplinary team (OG-MDT) allows better efficiency of time and resources to reach diagnoses and facilitate patient needs. (2) Methods: This clinical case series was conducted by a retrospective review of patient records for patients enrolled in the Target 5000 programme and managed by the OG-MDT, at the Mater Hospital Dublin, Ireland ( = 865) (3) Results: Herein we describe clinical cases and how the use of the OG-MDT optimizes care for isolated and syndromic IRD pedigrees.