Information In Ireland Research Articles

SURG-10. MELANOMA CEREBRAL METASTASES IN IRELAND- GETTING UNDER THE SKIN

BACKGROUND: Ireland has the highest rate of melanoma related deaths in Europe. Despite the incidence of melanoma reaching record highs there remains a paucity of information in Ireland regarding the factors associated with melanoma brain metastasis (MBM). METHODS: Patients diagnosed with MBM in Ireland were retrospectively identified in Beaumont Hospital between 1999 and 2018. Patient demographics; year of detection of MBM, age at diagnosis of primary melanoma, age at detection of MBM, anatomical location of primary melanoma, BRAF mutation analysis and the number of metastases were investigated. Follow up data was also derived, including overall survival (OS). RESULTS: The incidence of malignant melanoma has increased by 158% over the past 20 years with 1,092 and 422 cases diagnosed in 2018 and 1999, respectively.128 patients with melanoma brain metastases were identified during this period. The median OS after detection of MBM was 5 months (95% CI 0.641–9.359 months). There was a male predominance (n= 77/128; 60%) with a median age of death at 58 years (n=67; range 16–82 years). Although females had a significantly longer time between diagnosis of primary melanoma and detection of MBM compared to males, 4 and 2 years respectively (p=0.02442), there was no significant age difference at death between males and females (p= 0.41294). BRAF mutation was an independent prognostic factor with an improved overall survival compared to those without the mutation, of 8 months and 3.5 months respectively (p=0.0012). Although non significant, the primary location of melanoma, leptomeningeal disease and number of cerebral metastases were all important considerations in this group. CONCLUSIONS: Male predominance and BRAF mutation represent important factors in this population group. The results of this study add to our knowledge concerning outcomes in melanoma brain metastases in Ireland, and may be useful in clinical planning, educational programs and future treatments.

Health Literacy Influences Men's Active and Passive Cancer Information Seeking

Background:For cancer prevention information to be effective, it must be accessible to its target populations. Prevalence of inadequate health literacy (HL) is high, but there is a dearth of information on the impact of HL on men's cancer information seeking.Objective:We investigated (1) men's cancer information seeking behaviors, (2) the effect of HL on men's cancer information seeking behavior, and (3) men's preferences for cancer information, considering their HL level. From a national perspective, we investigated men's information seeking behavior from the Irish Cancer Society (ICS), the largest provider of cancer information in Ireland.Methods:Men from adult literacy classes and men's groups were invited to complete a questionnaire. General and ICS-specific cancer information seeking behavior was investigated. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were conducted with “ever” seeking cancer information from any source, and actively seeking and passively acquiring ICS information as dependent variables.Key Results: Overall, 259 men completed the questionnaire and 44% had inadequate HL. About one-half of responders reported “ever” actively looking for cancer information. In the study group, 19% actively sought and 67% passively acquired ICS-specific information. In multivariate analysis, the odds of actively seeking (2.93; 95% CI [1.05, 8.15]) or passively acquiring (4.7; 95% CI [1.99, 11.05]) ICS-specific cancer information was significantly higher among those with adequate versus inadequate HL, respectively. HL was not significantly associated with odds of “ever” cancer information seeking in multivariate analysis (odds ratio 1.81; 95% CI [0.90, 3.63]). Men want information about cancer prevention. Suggested future cancer information sources differed by HL levels. General practitioners and the Internet were the preferred source for men with inadequate (53.3%) and adequate HL (57%), respectively.Conclusions:Men both passively acquire and actively seek cancer prevention information. Multimodal dissemination of cancer prevention information is necessary to reach a wide cross-section of men, including those with inadequate HL. This could potentially lower men's cancer burden and reduce gender inequalities in cancer mortality. [HLRP: Health Literacy Research and Practice. 2019;3(3):e147–e160.]Plain Language Summary: Most men get cancer prevention information by coming across it passively in their daily lives, instead of actively looking for this information. Men with low health literacy are less likely to obtain cancer information both passively and actively. Men want this information. Organizations need to make this information available in many places and formats (e.g., Internet, doctor, television, sports clubs).

Association rule mining based quantitative analysis approach of household characteristics impacts on residential electricity consumption patterns

The comprehensive understanding of the residential electricity consumption patterns (ECPs) and how they relate to household characteristics can contribute to energy efficiency improvement and electricity consumption reduction in the residential sector. After recognizing the limitations of current studies (i.e. unreasonable typical ECP (TECP) extraction method and the problem of multicollinearity and interpretability for regression and machine learning models), this paper proposes an association rule mining based quantitative analysis approach of household characteristics impact on residential ECPs trying to address them together. First, an adaptive density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise (DBSCAN) algorithm is utilized to create seasonal TECP of each individual customer only for weekdays. K-means is then adopted to group all the TECPs into several clusters. An enhanced Apriori algorithm is proposed to reveal the relationships between TECPs and thirty five factors covering four categories of household characteristics including dwelling characteristics, socio-demographic, appliances and heating and attitudes towards energy. Results of the case study using 3326 records containing smart metering data and survey information in Ireland suggest that socio-demographic and cooking related factors such as employment status, occupants and whether cook by electricity have strong significant associations with TECPs, while attitudes related factors almost have no effect on TECPs. The results also indicate that those households with more than one person are more likely to change ECP across seasons. The proposed approach and the findings of this study can help to support decisions about how to reduce electricity consumption and CO2 emissions.

Understanding the state of health information in Ireland: A qualitative study using a socio-technical approach

ObjectivesThe objective of this paper is to add to the broader literature on socio-technical theory and its value and/or relevance to health information in Ireland. The paper focuses on three factors that can impact on health information; those of policy, infrastructure and people (PIP) and examines how Ireland compares with other countries in relation to these factors. Materials and methodsQualitative methods (documentary analysis and semi-structured interviews) were used. Key policy and strategy documents, and original research articles from Australia, Canada, Ireland, the UK and the US were analysed from a comparative perspective. The dimensions of policy, infrastructure and people were then explored through semi-structured interviews with health information experts in Ireland. Their perceptions were compared with and contrasted against the findings from the documentary analysis, and examined thematically. FindingsThe views of health information experts support the findings of the review of Ireland’s development in this area compared with other countries and that Ireland lags behind others in policy and practice terms. ConclusionsThe paper concludes that the three dimensions of policy, infrastructure and people do indeed help to frame the understanding of health information in Ireland and that a socio-technical perspective, combined with a comparative approach, can also help both policy makers and practitioners in identifying the scope for improvement in health information.

The case for a cost-effective central coronial database following an analysis of coronial records relating to deaths in nursing homes

In order to demonstrate the potential wider epidemiological application of the data held in coroners' files, this paper uses an analysis of nursing home deaths reported to the coroner in County Kildare, Ireland. We examine the deaths in relation to ages, primary causes of death and rates of post-mortem examination. Knowing that Europe's population is increasing in age, the analyses presented here show the type of information that could be made available relating to certain population cohorts. Currently, there is no easily accessible way to obtain this information in Ireland, so we present the case for the implementation of a central coroner's database with potential for application in other jurisdictions but with the caveat that it must be cost-effective and use current resources, rather than establishing new ones.

Access to Environmental Information in Ireland: Implementation Challenges

This article explores the limits of the discretion left to Member States under Directive 2003/4/EC on public access to environmental information and considers a range of issues relating to implementation and enforcement. Ireland is deployed as a case study to demonstrate the substantial challenges involved in delivering the rights created in the Directive. Particular attention is devoted to the role of the Commissioner for Environmental Information who is charged with resolving information disputes. Five years after the deadline for transposition, analysis of the Irish experience reveals a minimalist approach to the Directive, as well as serious deficiencies in practical implementation.

Democracy and the Right to Know: 10 Years of Freedom of Information in Ireland

Freedom of information (FOI) is important because it aims to makes government open, transparent and accountable. The legislation is based on the premise that people have the right of access to public documents, save for certain exemptions (Doyle, 1997: 68). The philosophy behind such legislation is that citizens have a ‘right to know’ (Wraith, 1977: 2) how and why decisions are made by government in their name. In that context it is arguable that FOI legislation also has the potential to lead to more accountable government, less corruption and better democratic outcomes for states. Those noble aims were not, it can be argued, foremost in the minds of the founding fathers of the Irish State. Instead the State’s colonial heritage and violent birth contributed to a highly secretive and centralised bureaucracy and government. Successive governments since then have sought to keep the State’s secrets. Exposes of corruption, external influences and cultural change finally lead to Ireland’s first Freedom of Information Act in 1997, and for the first time it allowed citizens a ‘right to know.’ In 2003 significant amendments were introduced in that legislation, which removed a number of key release provisions and introduced fees for requests leaving the principle of the legislation - albeit in a narrower form - still in place. This paper firstly sets out the background to the development of open and accountable government in Ireland, and secondly examines elite attitudes to the introduction, operation and amendment of FOI legislation in the State between 1998 and 2008. It does this by distilling the proceedings of an expert focus group convened to discuss the Act and its legacy.

A qualitative study of lifestyle counselling in general practice in Ireland

There is limited information in Ireland on the attitudes of GPs and practice nurses to lifestyle counselling and the strategies or approaches they use. Furthermore, there is no national framework or resources to support the systematic and uniform provision of lifestyle counselling. To explore the views of Irish primary health care practitioners about behavioural risk factor management in particular to the provision of lifestyle counselling. To identify barriers to behavioural risk factor management and to inform the development of a risk factor management toolkit for general practice. The research design is a qualitative study consisting of six focus groups with primary health care practitioners in urban and rural locations in the Republic of Ireland. Two focus groups were conducted with GPs, two with practice nurses, one with a mixed group of GPs and practice nurses and one with a Primary Care Team. In total, 56 participants, aged 30-64 years, attended the focus groups. Descriptive analysis was performed. GPs and practice nurses experienced considerable barriers to lifestyle counselling. These include insufficient time, patient resistance, lack of funding for prevention and lack of training. Participants were aware of the value of patient-centred lifestyle counselling; however, the provision of simple lifestyle information and advice was the predominant strategy used. GPs and practice nurses regularly conduct lifestyle counselling despite considerable barriers. It is essential that they are supported to carry out lifestyle counselling as part of a systematic 'whole practice approach' to prevention in general practice.

Using OpenStreetMap to deliver location-based environmental information in Ireland

This paper outlines research work-in-progress on delivery of location-based services for environmental information in Ireland. A prototype web map service (WMS) is developed to deliver map-based environmental information using a specially customised version of the OpenStreetMap database. This WMS must deliver a location-based information package to the user: maps of the area that the user is viewing, key state-of-the-environment indicator information for that geographical area, and links to where the actual data and further environmental information can be obtained. This information package must be presented in a way that best matches the environmental preferences of the user. These preferences are derived from a set of 'user profiles' of potential users of the WMS. Software tools developed during this work to derive geospatial products from the OpenStreetMap database are described and some of our observations of working with OpenStreetMap are discussed. The paper closes with the likely directions for the continuation of this research.

The protection of personal information in public registers: the case of urban planning information in Ireland

This article commences by describing public registers. Examples of such registers in use in Ireland are set out. The advantages of allowing the public access to public registers are discussed, as are the negative consequences that can arise from the provision of access. In particular, privacy issues arising from the provision of access are explored. The extent to which the provision of electronic access to public registers may give rise to special concern is raised. The making available to the public of planning related information in Ireland is used as a case study in exploring these issues. Examples of personal information used in the Irish planning process are set out and the legislative provisions governing access are described. Statutory protection available for privacy of such information contained in both planning law and data protection law are evaluated and suggestions are made with respect to achieving an appropriate balance between access and privacy of personal information in public registers.

The Protection of Personal Information in Public Registers: The Case of Urban Planning Information in Ireland

Public availability of information relating to the planning process is crucial to ensuring accountability of that process. The provision to the public of access to planning information can however give rise to privacy concerns on the part of those to whom the information relates, in particular where the information in question is personal in nature. The making available of personal information in planning files by electronic means gives rise to special challenges. This article explores the policy issues concerning the making available to the public of information held in public registers. Using as a case study the Irish legislative framework for both the making available to the public of planning related information and for the protection of privacy of personal information, the article highlights a lack of coordination in the laws governing these two important areas, in particular where public registers are available online. The article suggests that the best way of achieving a balance between access and other important interests such as that of privacy in public registers is to use a combination of the application of data protection law together with reform of the laws underpinning access to particular registers. Specific proposals are put forward with regard to the reform of the law in this area. The article concludes by emphasising the role played by public registers in promoting accountability and the importance of ensuring continuing access thereto notwithstanding the need to pay closer attention to the privacy implications of the provision of such access.

Sources of Company Information in Ireland

AbstractJohn Furlong of Matheson, Ormsby Prentice LLP briefly describes the services provided by the Companies Registration Office.

Educational Inquiry and Creativity: Developing Digital Resources in Ireland's Information Age Town

Despite cultural and social barriers to technology adoption, the teachers and administrators of schools in the Irish town of Ennis, with help from the Clare County Education Centre, integrated computers, networking, software, Internet, and digital imagery into the schools' curriculum. Success in technology integration has been achieved in primary education due to persistent and innovative efforts on the part of teachers; however, technology integration has not been as deep nor as broad in the secondary-level schools. Students have produced many new learning materials themselves using computer-based tools, the Internet, and other technologies. The barriers, challenges, and achievements of the community described in this case study may have implications for other small communities who wish to use technology for teaching, learning, and curriculum change.

Electronic Access to Legal Information in Ireland

This article addresses the question of electronic access to legal resources in Ireland, with special reference to the British and Irish Legal Information Institute (BAILII) project. The first section of the article explains the origins of BAILII and the Irish resources which it makes available without charge on the web (as well discussing as other free websites). The second section considers official sources of access to Irish legal material (i.e. government sites), while a final section outlines the commercial services currently on offer. An Appendix provides some “Notes on Using BAILII.”

Community access to health information in Ireland.

This paper is based on a research project conducted on consumer health information (CHI) in the Republic of Ireland, the results of which were published in a report entitled Well Read: Developing Consumer Health Information in Ireland. The paper describes the research methodology and the Irish experience in relation to CHI followed by a discussion of access problems, illustrated with examples from the special needs and primary care sectors. The role of information providers in relation to primary healthcare and libraries is examined briefly, and finally the main research conclusions and recommendations are highlighted.

Free to fee: the current account from an academic library

The Queen’s University of Belfast set-up a fee based service in 1991 aimed initially at built environment professionals. The Architecture and Planning Information Service at the University has long been a major source of architectural and environmental information in Ireland, and has close links with the Architectural Library at University College Dublin and with professional bodies such as the Royal Society of Ulster Architects and the Royal Town Planning Institute in Northern Ireland. Problems encountered include the relationship and balance of services to internal and external (fee-paying) users, staff training, setting realistic prices, quality control, and contract issues. Future trends are likely to include the development of client-tailored services and further collaboration between providers of fee-based services from different institutions.

The Gathering of Botanical Information in Ireland, 1600 to 1800

Summary Botanical exploration in Ireland before 1800 was conducted mainly by individuals, e.g. Richard Heaton (c. 1640), William Sherard(c. 1692), CalebThrelkeld(c. 1726). There was one attempt in the mid-1700s by the Physico-Historical Society to organize a concerted programme of botanical investigation. This paper concentrates on three separate recorders of the Irish flora and their extant manuscripts, Don Philip O'Sullivan Beare (c. 1625), John Rutty (c. 1740) and Patrick Browne (c. 1780). A manuscript account of the Irish flora survives from the first quarter of the seventeenth century. Philip O'Sullivan Beare wrote Zoiloinastix about 1623, as a response to the disparaging writings of such authors as Giraldus Cambrensis. O'Sullivan Beare clearly had first-hand knowledge of some gardens and forests, and seems to have been well-versed in botany. The Physico-Historical Society of Ireland promoted natural history exploration. Dr John Rutty was the person who apparently co-ordinated the programme. Isaac Bu...

1981. Aerial Photography. Information on the 1: 30000 aerial photographic survey of Ireland. Geological Survey of Ireland Information Circular 81/1, 11 pp. Dublin. Price not stated.

1981. Aerial Photography. Information on the 1: 30000 aerial photographic survey of Ireland. Geological Survey of Ireland Information Circular 81/1, 11 pp. Dublin. Price not stated.