A realist review of the causes of, and current interventions to address 'missingness' in health care.

Background: This protocol describes a realist review exploring the problem of "missingness" in healthcare, defined as the repeated tendency not to take up offers of care that has a negative impact on the person and their life chances. More specifically, the review looks at the phenomenon of patients missing multiple appointments in primary care in the UK - at the causal factors that influence how patients come to be "missing" in this way, and what interventions might support uptake and "presence" in healthcare. Background research informing this project suggests that a high rate of missed appointments predicted high premature death rates, and patients were more likely to have multiple long-term health conditions and experience significant socioeconomic disadvantage.

Baseline Characteristics in the Remote Diet Intervention to REduce long-COVID Symptoms Trial (ReDIRECT).

Background: The persistence of symptoms for ≥12 weeks after a COVID-19 infection is known as Long COVID (LC), a condition with unclear pathophysiology and no proven treatments to date. Living with obesity is a risk factor for LC and has symptoms which may overlap with and aggravate LC.

Methods: ReDIRECT is a remotely delivered trial assessing whether weight management can reduce LC symptoms.

Understanding sexual health service access for gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men in Ireland during the COVID-19 crisis: Findings from the EMERGE survey.

Background: In the Republic of Ireland, the COVID-19 crisis led to sexual health service closures while clinical staff were redeployed to the pandemic response. Gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM) face pre-existing sexual health inequalities which may have been exacerbated. The aim of this study is to understand sexual health service accessibility for gbMSM in Ireland during the COVID-19 crisis.

Traumatic brain injury epidemiology and rehabilitation in Ireland: a protocol paper.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. In Ireland, a dearth of research means that we neither know the number of people affected by TBI, nor have the required data to improve neuro-rehabilitation services. This is a study protocol to examine the epidemiology and pathways through rehabilitation for a cohort of TBI survivors in the Republic of Ireland.

Recreational and sexualised drug use among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM) in Ireland-Findings from the European MSM internet survey (EMIS) 2017.

Background: Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM) report a higher prevalence of drug use in comparison to the general male population. However, in Ireland, there is a paucity of literature regarding the prevalence of drug use and its determinants among gbMSM.

Aims/objectives: To quantify the prevalence of (i) recreational drug use (RDU) and (ii) sexualised drug use (SDU) among gbMSM in Ireland, and to identify the factors associated with these drug use practices.

Immunocompromise among vaccinated versus unvaccinated COVID-19 cases admitted to critical care in Ireland, July to October 2021.

As the COVID-19 pandemic progressed, so too did the proportion of cases admitted to critical care in Ireland who were fully vaccinated. Reporting of this observation has public health implications as incorrect interpretation may affect public confidence in COVID-19 vaccines. A potential explanation is the reduced ability of those who are immunocompromised to produce an adequate, sustained immune response to vaccination.

Hepatitis A and B vaccination in gbMSM in Ireland: findings from the European MSM Internet Survey 2017 (EMIS-2017).

Objectives: Gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM) have a higher risk of acquiring hepatitis A and B viruses (HAV and HBV) than the general population and are recommended for vaccination against both in Ireland. This study aims to determine the prevalence of self-reported HAV and HBV infection and vaccination among gbMSM in Ireland and explore factors associated with self-reported HAV and HBV vaccination among gbMSM.

Methods: This study analysed Irish data from the European MSM Internet Survey 2017 (EMIS-2017) to measure the prevalence of self-reported HAV and HBV infection and vaccination among gbMSM in Ireland.

Identifying best practices in a process evaluation of a novice driver education program.

Best practice for learning to drive programs should be evidence-based and incorporate the range of lower and higher-order skills outlined in the internationally recognized Goals for Driver Education (GDE) matrix. A set of practices derived from the matrix, together with pertinent adult learning approaches and driving instruction research formed the basis of an evaluation checklist developed to review the Keys2drive program (a national single-session interactive education program for learner drivers in Australia). The checklist criteria consisted of 18 practices, including: having a sound theoretical base; reflecting various GDE components; facilitating parental involvement; provision of feedback; building resilience; use of coaching approaches; commentary driving; self-assessment; understanding of risk factors; and supporting safe vehicle choices and graduated licensing schemes.

Service User and Service Provider Perceptions of Enablers and Barriers for Refugee and Asylum-Seeking Women Accessing and Engaging with Perinatal Mental Health Care Services in the WHO European Region: A Scoping Review Protocol.

There is a need to understand the specific perinatal mental health care needs of migrant subgroups who often have differing health care needs and specific barriers to accessing and engaging with health care services. It is important to have evidence about the WHO European context given the rising numbers of refugees and asylum seekers in the region. The aim of this scoping review is to map the factors that enable and prevent access and engagement of refugee and asylum-seeking women with perinatal mental health care services in the WHO European Region, from the perspectives of service providers and service users.

Discriminating Between Premigration and Postmigration HIV Acquisition Using Surveillance Data.

Background: Migrant populations are overrepresented among persons diagnosed with HIV in the European Union and the European Economic Area. Understanding the timing of HIV acquisition (premigration or postmigration) is crucial for developing public health interventions and for producing reliable estimates of HIV incidence and the number of people living with undiagnosed HIV infection. We summarize a recently proposed method for determining the timing of HIV acquisition and apply it to both real and simulated data.

Potential alcohol use disorder among MSM in Ireland - Findings from the European MSM internet survey (EMIS 2017).

Background: Alcohol consumption is a major public health concern in Ireland. Alcohol use disorder (AUD) disproportionately affects men who have sex with men (MSM). However, little is known about the prevalence of AUD in this group in Ireland specifically, and the characteristics of MSM who may struggle with this.

Factors associated with lower knowledge of HIV and STI transmission, testing and treatment among MSM in Ireland: findings from the MSM Internet Survey Ireland (MISI) 2015.

Background: Poor knowledge regarding STI and HIV transmission, testing and treatment among men who have sex with men (MSM) may be contributing to their disproportionate burden of STIs. However, factors which predispose MSM to having this low knowledge are less understood.

Aim: The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with having lower knowledge of HIV and STI transmission, testing and treatment among MSM.

Establishment of a national surveillance system to monitor community HIV testing, Ireland, 2018.

Background: HIV continues to be an important public health issue. Voluntary community-based HIV testing (VCBT) helps to reduce the undiagnosed population of HIV-positive individuals, enabling early diagnosis and treatment. Monitoring is essential to determine whether at-risk groups are being effectively reached.

Use of geosocial networking applications is independently associated with diagnosis of STI among men who have sex with men testing for STIs: findings from the cross-sectional MSM Internet Survey Ireland (MISI) 2015.

Objectives: MSM Internet Survey Ireland (MISI) 2015 was an anonymous, self-completed, cross-sectional internet survey assessing sexual behaviours and health needs among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Ireland. We explored factors associated with self-reported STI diagnosis among MSM who were sexually active and had an STI test in the previous year.

Methods: We compared the study population (n=1158; 37% of total population), with the sexually active MISI population not testing for STIs (n=1620; 52% of total population).

Using data from a behavioural survey of men who have sex with men (MSM) to estimate the number likely to present for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in Ireland, 2017.

In Ireland, men who have sex with men (MSM) have increased HIV risk. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), combined with safe sex practices, can reduce HIV acquisition. We estimated MSM numbers likely to present for PrEP by applying French PrEP criteria to Irish MSM behavioural survey data.

High prevalence of frequent attendance in the over 65s.

Introduction: Characteristics of older frequent users of Emergency Departments (EDs) are poorly understood. Our aim was to examine the characteristics of the ED frequent attenders (FAs) by age (under 65 and over 65 years).

Methods: We examined the prevalence of FA attending the ED of an Urban Teaching Hospital in a cross-sectional study between 2009 and 2011.

Injection of new psychoactive substance snow blow associated with recently acquired HIV infections among homeless people who inject drugs in Dublin, Ireland, 2015.

In February 2015, an outbreak of recently acquired HIV infections among people who inject drugs (PWID) was identified in Dublin, following similar outbreaks in Greece and Romania in 2011. We compared drug and risk behaviours among 15 HIV cases and 39 controls. Injecting a synthetic cathinone, snow blow, was associated with recent HIV infection (AOR: 49; p=0.

Engaging in large-scale digital health technologies and services. What factors hinder recruitment?

Implementing consumer oriented digital health products and services at scale is challenging and a range of barriers to reaching and recruiting users to these types of solutions can be encountered. This paper describes the experience of implementers with the rollout of the Delivering Assisted Living Lifestyles at Scale (dallas) programme. The findings are based on qualitative analysis of baseline and midpoint interviews and project documentation.

Short-term outcomes following laparoscopic resection for colon cancer.

Background: Laparoscopic resection for colon cancer has been proven to have a similar oncological efficacy compared to open resection. Despite this, it is performed by a minority of colorectal surgeons. The aim of our study was to evaluate the short-term clinical, oncological and survival outcomes in all patients undergoing laparoscopic resection for colon cancer.

The benefit of an enhanced recovery programme following elective laparoscopic sigmoid colectomy.

Background: Enhanced recovery programmes (ERPs) have demonstrated reduced morbidity and length of hospital stay in patients undergoing open elective colorectal resections. The application of laparoscopic techniques to colorectal surgery is associated with shorter length of stay and morbidity compared to open resections. In the setting of laparoscopic surgery, it is unclear whether there is an additive effect on length of stay and morbidity by combining these.

Low incidence of adverse events following 90-minute and 3-minute infusions of intravenous iron sucrose in children on erythropoietin.

Aim: To define the adverse events following two different rates and methods of intravenous iron sucrose infusions in children with anaemia due to chronic renal impairment.

Methods: Two prospective observational studies were undertaken to characterize the adverse events following iron sucrose administration in children with renal impairment and on erythropoietin. Between January 1999 and April 2003, 5 mg/kg of intravenous (IV) iron sucrose was given over 90 min and repeated 24 h later.