Co-Creating Descriptors and a Definition for Person-Centred Coordinated Health Care: An Action Research Study.

The aim of this study was to co-create a definition and generic descriptors for person-centred coordinated care for Ireland generated from service users' narratives. An overarching action research approach was used to engage and empower people to tangibly impact health policy and practice. Through focus groups and a qualitative survey, primary data were collected from a national sample of health services users, caregivers and health care service users' representative groups.

The e-handover: applications for surgical training.

Background: Workplace-based assessments introduced in part to compensate for the reduced 'hands on' experience of surgical trainees are now a compulsory facet of surgical training. Taking the form of 'tick box' exercises they largely focus on procedural competence. This work aimed to ascertain whether a standardised electronic handover could also be used as a surrogate marker of trainees' diagnostic skills.

Attitudes of the medical profession to whole body and organ donation.

Cadaveric dissection remains an important part of undergraduate medical education in anatomy. In a concerted effort to rise the number of doctors in practice in Ireland the amount of medical school placements has been increased steadily since 1995. This poses a problem as the number of cadavers has remained unchanged despite an overall increase in the population Ireland over the last twenty years.

An evaluation of the appropriateness and safety of nurse and midwife prescribing in Ireland.

Aim: To evaluate the clinical appropriateness and safety of nurse and midwife prescribing practice.

Background: The number of countries introducing nurse and midwife prescribing is increasing; however, concerns over patient safety remain.

Design: A multi-site documentation evaluation was conducted using purposeful and random sampling.

Electronic clinical decision support systems attitudes and barriers to use in the oncology setting.

Background: There is little evidence regarding attitudes to clinical decision support systems (CDSS) in oncology.

Aims: We examined the current usage, awareness, and concerns of Irish medical oncologists and oncology pharmacists in this area.

Methods: A questionnaire was sent to 27 medical oncologists and 34 oncology pharmacists, identified through professional interest groups.