Non-consultant Hospital Doctors Research Articles

92 THE RISE OF SIMULATION BASED TRAINING IN GERIATRIC MEDICINE?

Abstract Background Simulation-based training (SBT) offers opportunities for teaching and learning in safe spaces, while learners navigate the acquisition of these complex skills, and work in clinically-realistic teams, supported by faculty. Geriatric medicine is a diverse speciality, requiring trainees to navigate complex social, medical, and ethical issues, necessitating a multifaceted and interdisciplinary approach. Studies describing SBT in geriatric medicine are limited. Methods We hosted an in-situ competition designed to encourage participation in simulation and to develop a simulation faculty network across a hospital group. All healthcare professionals in the hospital group were eligible to enter. Contestants designed a simulation case scenario within a speciality of their choice. Entrants participated in five virtual workshops on core elements of SBT. Six cases were selected to participate in the virtual final. The finalists submitted a video summarising the performance of and evaluation of the learners’ experience of the scenario. Results Thirty-four teams submitted initial SBT proposals and participated in the five virtual SBT workshops over a three-week period. Of these,17.6% (n = 6) were geriatric medicine teams, comprising seven geriatric medicine consultants, four advanced nurse practitioners and 13 non-consultant hospital doctors (five registrars, six senior house officers and two interns). Case scenarios submitted by geriatric medicine teams included acute stroke care, diagnosis and management of delirium, management of perioperative delirium post hip fracture and capacity assessment. Conclusion The level of interest in SBT generated amongst geriatric medicine faculty and trainees suggests this may be a useful tool to enhance the training experience. SBT offers geriatric medicine trainees the opportunity to practice the technical and non-technical skills required to navigate complex, interdisciplinary and challenging patient scenarios, in a protected environment. In this innovation, we identified a range of geriatric medicine-related topics for which SBT was deemed to be valuable by both faculty and trainees and could be facilitated through in-situ simulation settings.

Informed Written Consent for Orthopaedic Trauma in the Emergency Setting at a Tertiary Referral Centre: A Closed-Loop Audit.

IntroductionThe purpose of this investigation was to perform an audit of the standards of consent forms in which patients sign prior to operative intervention for orthopaedic trauma in an emergency setting in our institution, with comparison to the ‘Orthopaedic Surgical Consent’ standards, as set by the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS). If required, the investigator aimed to close the loop in this audit by educating orthopaedic surgeons on the necessary standards of obtaining written consent for orthopaedic trauma.MethodsFollowing being granted approval by our institutional audit committee, a pre-intervention cycle was performed to assess the quality of consent obtained in written format using electronic patient records in consecutive patients over a four-week period. Following the analysis of this data, an education session was provided for all orthopaedic doctors responsible for obtaining informed written consent from patients who are planned to undergo operative management of a soft tissue or bony injury by the trauma and orthopaedic service in the emergency setting. Thereafter, a post-intervention cycle was performed with subsequent descriptive analysis using the GraphPad software.ResultsIn the pre-intervention audit cycle, all included (n = 107) consent forms (100%) correctly included the patient’s name, date of birth (DOB) and institutional board number (BN). However, only 79 consent forms (74.5%) were completed without using abbreviations or acronyms of any kind, whilst 81 consent forms (76.4%) were completed without correctly stating the side or site of the planned intervention. In the post-intervention cycle, all included (n = 40) consent forms (100%) correctly included the patient’s name, DOB and institutional BN. Additionally, a total of 37 consent forms (92.5%) were correctly completed without using abbreviations or acronyms of any kind (74.5% versus 92.5%, p = 0.02). Furthermore, a total of 39 consent forms (97.5%) were completed correctly stating the side or site of the planned intervention (76.4% versus 97.5%, p = 0.0015).ConclusionThis closed-loop audit found that the quality of informed consent obtained by orthopaedic surgeons in the emergency setting might potentially be significantly improved with at least one virtual education session. Such simple education sessions may potentially improve the documentation of the planned potential operative intervention by orthopaedic surgeons for cases of orthopaedic trauma to ensure patient safety is optimised. As the turnover of non-consultant hospital doctors is high in university teaching hospitals, regular education sessions on such topics may introduce a cultural shift in maintaining high standards when marking and consenting patients in the emergency setting.

Attitudes and experiences with termination of pregnancy among Irish obstetrics & gynaecology trainees in the context of recent legal change: A survey study.

ObjectiveThis study examines Irish obstetrics and gynaecology trainees’ experiences with and opinions of termination of pregnancy (ToP) after legal change.Study designWe invited obstetrics & gynaecology non-consultant hospital doctors (NCHDs) to participate in a web-based survey through a professional e-mail listserv. We conducted descriptive statistical analyses of responses using Stata SE Version 16.ResultsA total of 102/202 (50.5%) trainees responded to the survey. Of these, 61.8% believed that ToP should be allowed on request up to 12 weeks and in limited circumstances thereafter (in line with current law), and 19.6% believe ToP should be allowed on request even after 12 weeks. Knowledge about the abortion law was high (70.6% achieved a perfect knowledge score). Since the new law came into effect, 61.8% of trainees reported participation in abortion care, though only 25.5% had performed surgical procedures. More than 75% of respondents would like to receive more training in all clinical skills related to ToP. In the future, 67.6% of respondents would be willing to provide TOP in all circumstances allowed by law.ConclusionIrish obstetrics & gynaecology NCHDs are generally supportive of the legislation. Few trainees have performed surgical abortions, and most would like to receive additional clinical training related to ToP.

950 A Close Loop Audit to Assess Awareness Among Non-Consultant Hospital Doctors Re Use of Personal Protective Equipment

IntroductionPersonal protective equipments (PPEs) are like war uniforms in the fight against Corona Pandemic. The limited supply of PPEs warrant their proper use not only to avoid shortage of supplies but also to prevent any infectious spread to healthcare workers. This study aimed at analyzing awareness among non-consultant hospital doctors re proper use of PPEsMethodA questionnaire was devised using local available guidelines published by university Hospital Limerick. The study was done in 2 phases. In 1st phase 100 questionnaires were distributed to non-consultant hospital doctors(NCHDs). Results were analysed and after 1st phase and emails were sent with results and local guidelines and a zoom educational session was organized. In 2nd phase, questionnaire was redistributed in a week's time and results were re analysed to close the loop.Results200 NCHDs participated in the study,100 in each phase. Most common age group in two phases was 21-30 yrs. Awareness about PPEs use for Covid 19 increased significantly in 2nd phase across all domains (what is included in PPEs (100% from 91%), Sequence for putting on PPEs (52% to 88% p < 0.05), steps for FIT test (57% to 74% p = 0.247) and sequence for removing PPEs (47% to 81% p < 0.05).ConclusionsThough PPEs donning and doffing sessions were organized by the hospital officially, Awareness about effective use of PPEs among NCHDs further improved after organizing a Zoom educational session and auditing.

SafePsych: improving patient safety by delivering high-impact simulation training on rare and complex scenarios in psychiatry

IntroductionDespite an evidence base demonstrating simulation to be an effective medical education tool, it is not commonly used in postgraduate psychiatry training as it is in other medical specialties.ObjectiveThis paper...

A national survey of publicly funded chronic pain management services in Ireland

BackgroundChronic pain management services have historically been under-resourced in Ireland. There is no agreed model of care for chronic pain management services in Ireland. Previous studies have assessed the extent of services in Ireland without examining waiting times for access to services.AimsThis study aimed to quantify the extent of, geographical distribution of and waiting times for access to publicly funded chronic pain management services in Ireland.MethodsUsing the British Pain Society’s Core Standards for Pain Management Services in the UK (2015) and International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) recommendations, a questionnaire was devised. Publically funded departments in Ireland were contacted and questionnaires completed. Waiting list data was publicly available and obtained from the National Treatment Purchase Fund website.ResultsThere was a 100% response rate. Sixteen publicly funded chronic pain management services were identified. There are 27 chronic pain management consultants (16.6 whole time equivalents (WTE)) practicing chronic pain management, amounting to 0.55 specialists (0.34 WTEs)/100,000 of the population. There are 21 WTE for non-consultant hospital doctors (NCHDs), 26.5 WTEs for nursing, 8 WTEs for physiotherapy and 6.2 WTEs for psychology, nationally. A percentage of 93.75% of departments (n = 15) provide interventional therapies, 37.5% (n = 6) provide advanced neuromodulation and 43.75% (n = 7) are managing intrathecal pump therapies. There are five pain management programmes nationally. As of January 2020, ~ 25% patients on waiting lists for outpatient appointments were waiting > 18 months, with ~ 17% patients on waiting lists for interventional treatments waiting > 12 months.ConclusionsShortage of multidisciplinary staff is of particular concern for Irish services. Patient access is limited as evidenced by significant waiting lists. In order to improve access to care and bring services in line with international recommendations, increased resources are needed.

Implementation of physical examination pro forma – a complete audit cycle

AimsAim of this audit is to achieve and maintain 100% compliance in physical examination on admission.BackgroundConducting physical examination on admission is a mandatory requirement and is monitored by the Mental Health Commission during yearly inspections. A report published by Inspectorate of the Mental Health Commission recently in 2019 identifies a gap in physical health monitoring. We conducted a complete audit cycle in an inner city hospital psychiatric ward to monitor compliance with physical examination on admission.MethodWe based the audit on Judgment Support Framework (JSF) version 5 standards. A retrospective review of all of the patient's medical records was carried out. 13 medical records were reviewed in the first cycle. The results of the first cycle were presented to the Multi Disciplinary Team (MDT) members, including the Non-Consultant Hospital Doctors (NCHD). Physical health policy was reviewed, in consultation with the committee and Clinical Director, a Physical Examination pro-forma (colour coded) was developed and implemented. It was based on the National Guidelines and the JSF ver.5. All members of the MDT and NCHDs were briefed on the pro forma introduced. A repeat audit cycle was conducted of all patients admitted after first audit cycle. Data were collected using a simple audit tool indicating if physical examination was conducted or refused.ResultA total of 22 medical records were audited. 13 medical records in the first cycle indicted only 3 patients had physical examination on admission. However, prior to admission a total of six patients had physical exam in the Emergency Department (ED). Upon implementation of the pro forma, 9 medical records of all patients admitted post-first cycle were audited. A total of 7 patients had physical examination on admission to the ward. Two patients refused physical examination and this was clearly documented. One patient had physical examination completed in ED. All newly admitted patients had physical examination completed or the reason why it wasn't completed documented clearly.ConclusionPhysical examination pro forma was successfully implemented, raising current compliance to a 100%, with a significant improvement from 23% compliance in the first cycle. Existing pro forma is helpful as a reminder to NCHDs. Colour coding of pro forma improves accessibility and distinguishability during the process of admission and auditing. Physical examination pro forma will be audited every 6 monthly.

A national survey of workplace-related musculoskeletal disorder and ergonomic practices amongst Irish otolaryngologists.

BackgroundWork-related musculoskeletal disorder (WRMD) is a rising concern for surgeons, particularly those involved in minimally invasive surgery (MIS). Severe WRMD can adversely affect surgeon’s health and foreshorten their careers if not appropriately managed.AimsThe aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of WRMD among Irish otolaryngologists and determine their knowledge of the best ergonomic principles.MethodsA national survey was distributed electronically to all otolaryngology consultants and non-consultant hospital doctors (NCHDs) in Ireland. The survey assessed respondents’ age, grade, history of WRMD, and treatments sought for WRMD and knowledge of best ergonomic practice.ResultsForty-nine of one hundred and two respondents completed the survey. The lifetime prevalence of WRMD among this cohort was 75.5%. Pain was the most commonly experienced symptom at 71.4%. The neck was the most frequently affected location (59.2%). Treatment for WRMD was sought by 36.7% of participants. The majority of respondents (73.5%) were unaware of recommendations made in the field of surgical ergonomics, while 85.7% were interested in learning ergonomic principles.ConclusionThis study demonstrates a high prevalence of WRMD amongst otolaryngologists working in Ireland and demonstrates a need for ergonomic training for surgeons.

379 The Critical Care Experience of Irish Surgical Non-Consultant Hospital Doctors, Are We Equipped to Assist During the Covid-19 Outbreak and Beyond?

IntroductionThe ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has presented unforeseen threats and stresses to healthcare systems around the world, most notably in the ability to provide critical care.AimTo assess surgical NCHD experience in providing critical care and working in an intensive care environment.MethodAn electronic survey was distributed amongst surgical trainees and then amongst individual surgical departments. Ten questions were included in the survey assessing the NCHD’s experience with aspects of critical care.Results39 respondents including 16 specialist registrars, 3 senior registrars, 11 registrars and 9 senior house officers. 18% of respondents had previous experience in anaesthetics or intensive care. 23% self-reported being competent in performing endotracheal intubation. 15% self-reported being competent in the use of CPAP and BiPaP, 5% did not know what these were. 20% self-reported being competent in the use of AIRVO. 15% self-reported being competent in placing central and arterial lines. 15% self-reported being competent in starting and adjusting inotropes/vasopressors. 49% reported completing a CCRISP or BASIC course. 85% felt that a rotation in anaesthesia should be a routine part of surgical training.ConclusionsWhilst there is critical care experience amongst the surgical NCHD cohort there remains room for further development.

Attitudes, Perceived Benefits, and Experiences of Engagement With Professional Competence Schemes for Doctors in Ireland: Findings From a National Survey.

Introduction:This study aimed to assess the attitudes, perceived benefits, and experiences of engaging with a formal system of continuing professional development (CPD) in the form of Professional Competence Schemes (PCSs) among doctors in Ireland.Methods:The study utilized an anonymous online survey measure with both open-ended and Likert-scale questions. The measure examined general attitudes, perceived impact, and experiences of engagement with PCS. This study examines the scale items only. All 4350 doctors enrolled on a PCS were invited through email to complete the survey. One thousand four hundred eight doctors participated, indicating a response rate of 32%.Results:Descriptive and inferential statistics (analysis of variance and Kruskal–Wallis) were performed on the scale items using IBM SPSS statistics, with group comparisons examining differences in responses according to gender and current primary role. A majority (80%) of respondents had positive overall attitudes to PCS. Most participants reported that CPD positively impacts their practice across a wide range of areas, particularly patient care. Most participants reported positive experiences engaging with PCS, although a minority reported difficulties, including lack of time to participate in and record CPD activities, difficulties obtaining evidence of participation, and feeling that their CPD activities are not easily captured by the PCS system. Significant differences in responses according to role were found for overall attitudes (confidence interval = 95%, P < .00) and overall experiences of PCS (confidence interval = 95%, P < .00) with nonconsultant hospital doctors emerging as a particularly vulnerable group with less positive attitudes and experiences.Discussion:Across the board overall attitudes, perceived impact and experiences of PCS were positive, and indicate that doctors feel that PCS is a valuable and beneficial activity. However, a minority of respondents reported experiencing difficulties with engagement, and these areas of difficulty represent targets for future improvement.

Challenges Faced by Non-consultant Hospital Doctors in Paediatric Peripheral Intravenous Cannulation in Ireland

Peripheral intravenous cannulation (PIVC) in children is one of the most common procedures in acute care paediatrics. This can be difficult for experienced clinicians and daunting for those with limited paediatric experience. We aimed to evaluate the level of confidence of non-consultant hospital doctors (NCHDs) in PIVC and identify factors that impact on their level of confidence. This was a cross-sectional nationwide survey of NCHDs on the level of confidence in paediatric PIVC. Self-reported questionnaires explored clinical experience with PIVC, level of confidence, and potential factors impacting on confidence. Primary outcome was the level of confidence in PIVC. A survey response rate of 45% (202/450) was received from 12 Irish hospitals. Despite 89% (180/202) of NCHDs self-reporting average or above average success rates and 76% (155/202) having inserted ≥10 cannula within the preceding 3 months, self-reported confidence was low across the entire cohort. Only 48% (97/202) of NCHDs reported confidence scores >3 on 5-point scale and 37% (75/202) reported significant anxiety proceeding with PIVC. Level of confidence was increased with previous paediatric experience (p = 0.00004) and seniority of the doctor (p < 0.00001), whilst previous unsuccessful attempts by colleagues were strongly associated with decreased confidence (p = 0.009). Our study described the levels of confidence of NCHDs in PIVC. Although the experienced paediatric NCHDs are confident in PIVC, there still exists some degree of anxiety. These have implications for workforce educational planning and training to improve level of confidence which may lead to better patient care.

AB181. SOH21AS205. Venous thromboembolism prophylaxis in general surgical patients undergoing elective and emergency procedures in a model 3 hospital: outcomes and non-consultant hospital doctors’ perspectives

AB181. SOH21AS205. Venous thromboembolism prophylaxis in general surgical patients undergoing elective and emergency procedures in a model 3 hospital: outcomes and non-consultant hospital doctors’ perspectives

Multi-level learning in public healthcare medical teams: the role of the social environment

PurposeThis study explores how individual, dyad and team levels of learning interact in public healthcare medical teams.Design/methodology/approachA single interpretive case study is carried out in the public Health Service Executive (HSE) in Ireland, involving three rounds of semi-structured interviews with non-consultant hospital doctors (NCHDs), supported by relevant professional documentation and researcher log entries.FindingsAn experience hierarchy, interpersonal relationships and social dynamics form the backdrop to learning interactions within public healthcare medical teams. Individual and team learning primarily occur in informal settings where interpreting and developing understanding takes place either in dyads, small groups or with the whole team. NCHD learning may vary depending on how effectively they build interpersonal relationships, take advantage of informal learning opportunities and manage the social dynamics within their team. Willingness and confidence to share insights and asking questions are triggers for individual and team learning.Research limitations/implicationsAs a single case study focused on the HSE NCHD individual and team learning experience, this research study represents a relatively small exploration of individual and team learning interplay in the public healthcare medical team environment. The development of learning theory in this domain presents an intriguing avenue of further research, including observation of interactions within a team.Practical implicationsThe findings have practical relevance to those who are interested in the effectiveness of post-graduate/ NCHD learning in the public healthcare system. Interpersonal relationships and social norms play strong roles in how interaction and learning occurs in a team. These findings highlight the challenge of ensuring consistent quality across individual NCHDs or across hospital sites when training is heavily influenced by the approach of senior colleagues/ consultants to their more junior colleagues and the degree to which they take an active interest in NCHD learning.Originality/valueThe proposed learning framework is a key theoretical contribution, which draws upon the multi-levels of learning and provides greater insight into how individual, dyad and team learning interact in public healthcare medical teams when managing patient care. The findings have practical relevance in how to facilitate effective teamwork and learning interactions and for those who are interested in the consistency and quality of the training experience for NCHDs.

Evaluating documentation of social history in paediatric medical notes at a regional paediatric centre \u2013 a quality improvement initiative

BackgroundA child’s home and family environment plays a vital role in neuro-cognitive and emotional development. Assessment of a child’s home environment and social circumstances is an crucial part of holistic Paediatric assessment.AimsOur aim is to achieve full compliance with comprehensive documentation of biopsychosocial history, for all children medically admitted to the children’s inpatient unit in University Hospital Limerick.MethodsWe performed a retrospective chart review to audit documentation within our department. This was followed by teaching interventions and a survey on knowledge, attitudes and behaviour of paediatric non-consultant hospital doctors (NCHDs) towards the social history. We performed two subsequent re-audits to assess response to our interventions, and provided educational sessions to seek improvement in quality of care.ResultsResults showed a significant improvement in quality of documentation following interventions, demonstrated by a net increase of 53% in levels of documentation of some social history on first re-audit. Though this was not maintained at an optimum level throughout the course of the year with compliance reduced from 95% to 82.5% on second re-audit, there was nonetheless a sustained improvement from our baseline. Our qualitative survey suggested further initiatives and educational tools that may be helpful in supporting the ongoing optimisation of the quality of documentation of social history in our paediatric department.ConclusionWe hope this quality improvement initiative will ultimately lead to sustained improvements in the quality of patient-centred care, and early identification and intervention for children at risk in our community.

COVID-19 and surgery: A thematic analysis of unintended consequences on performance, practice and surgical training

PurposeThe shift in the national focus and allocation of resources to the management of COVID19 has led to significant changes to surgical practice including the delay of elective surgery. The aim of this study was to explore the implications of such changes on surgeons. MethodUsing a qualitative study design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with general surgery consultants and non-consultant hospital doctors from a major tertiary hospital in the Dublin region between March–May 2020. Data collection proceeded iteratively using a thematic analysis approach with quality controls such as memoing and collaborative analysis. ResultsFourteen surgeons (8 male, 6 female) were interviewed. The majority (n = 11, 78.6%) were NCHDs. Significant themes determined included ‘impacts’ on a variety of constructs such as performance, self-reported fatigue and wellbeing. Training themes elucidated included the effects of the cancellation of elective admissions on reduced operative exposure for trainees. Senior surgical staff were particularly focused on increased complexity in patient management. New policy requirements such as personal protective equipment use and novel rotas have had implications for aspects of work engagement. The pandemic and subsequent national restrictions imposed has afforded opportunities for improved well-being but also resulted in greater solitude in surgeons. ConclusionsRhetoric surrounding fatigue management and virus control dominates the conversation on the relationship between COVID-19 and surgery. Tipping the balance back to parity of fatigue management with service delivery in surgery will be key for sustainability of the surgical workforce.

Barriers and facilitators of medicines reconciliation at transitions of care in Ireland \u2013 a qualitative study

BackgroundMedication error at transitions of care is common. The implementation of medicines reconciliation processes to improve this issue has been recommended by many regulatory and safety organisations. The aim of this study was to gain insight from healthcare professionals on the barriers and facilitators to the medicines reconciliation implementation process.MethodsSemi-structured interviews were conducted in Ireland with a wide range of healthcare professionals (HCPs) involved with medicines reconciliation at transitions of care. Thematic analysis was undertaken using an adaptation of a combined theoretical framework of Grol, Cabana and Sluisveld to classify the barriers and facilitators to implementation of medicines reconciliation.ResultsThirty-five participants were interviewed, including eleven community pharmacists (CPs), eight hospital pharmacists (HPs), nine hospital consultants (HCs), five general practitioners (GPs), and two non-consultant hospital doctors (NCHDs). Themes were categorized into barriers and facilitators. Barriers included resistance from existing professional cultures, staff interest and training, poor communication and minimal information and communications technology (ICT) support. Solutions (facilitators) suggested included supporting effective multidisciplinary teams, greater involvement of pharmacists in medicines reconciliation, ICT solutions (linked prescribing databases, decision support systems) and increased funding to provide additional (e.g. admission and discharge reconciliation) and more advanced services (e.g. community pharmacist delivered medicines use review).ConclusionsMedicines reconciliation is advocated as a solution to the known problem of medication error at transitions of care. This study identifies the key challenges and potential solutions that policy makers, managers and HCPs should consider when reviewing the practices and processes of medicines reconciliation in their own organisations.

Maternity care providers’ involvement in research

ObjectiveDespite the widely acknowledged importance of research for improving patient care and outcomes, research in pregnant women is lacking. Many challenges innate to conducting research in pregnant women may discourage maternity care providers from engaging in research. Thus, the current study assessed maternity care providers’ involvement in research, their perception of the relevance of research, as well as facilitators and barriers to participating in research. Study DesignA total sample of 145 maternity care providers were recruited from a large tertiary-referral university-based teaching maternity hospital. Maternity care providers included, midwives, nurses, sonographers, consultant obstetricians, and non-consultant hospital doctors. Participants completed a cross-sectional survey between May and October 2018. ResultsThe present study found that overall, 49.7% of maternity care providers who participated reported never taking part in conducting research. Medical staff were more likely to report being given the opportunity and to have ever conducted research compared to midwives (p < 0.05). Participants agreed that research is important to maintain the quality of care provided to women (Mean = 4.86/5 in agreeance). However, medical staff were more likely to report understanding research methodology and feeling competent to undertake research compared to midwives (Mean = 3.85 v 3.28, p = 0.002; Mean = 3.56 v 2.60, p < 0.05). ConclusionThe findings suggest future strategies aimed at increased opportunities and additional research training will likely support maternity care providers’, specifically midwives, involvement in conducting effective research studies in pregnancy. Such actions hold the potential to contribute research evidence lacking in pregnant women necessary to provide appropriate maternity care.

AB263. Expectations of waiting times for joint arthroplasty in an Irish hospital

Background: Information regarding the exact waiting time for an elective joint arthroplasty (total hip replacement and total knee replacement) is not widely available. Thus far, there is no published data as regards the waiting time from general practitioner (GP) referral to being seen by orthopaedic consultant, nor is there information on the the waiting time from booking of elective joint arthroplasty to day of surgery. This study aims to assess the different perceptions and expectations of waiting times among consultants, non-consultant hospital doctors (NCHDs), patients, orthopaedic nursing staff and GPs in the catchment area of this Irish hospital.

Survey of NCHDs in Ireland to assess their views and opinions in relation to participation in health research and the impact of new Irish data protection regulations

Since August 2018, Irish health research is regulated by the European General Data Protection Act (GDPR) 2016 with the (Irish) Data Protection Act and Health Research Regulations (HRR) 2018. The Irish application of GDPR has been criticised by consultants and academics as overly restrictive; however, Non-consultant Hospital Doctor's (NCHD's) perspectives have not been explored. This project aimed to collect the views of NCHDs in Ireland in relation to health research and the impact of GDPR and HRR. Internationally barriers to engagement with health research have been identified; however, to our knowledge, no previous studies have been conducted in Ireland. Agreeable Irish specialty colleges and faculties distributed an online survey to their NCHDs. Social media platforms were also used to promote the survey. All data collected was anonymised. A total of 192 NCHDs completed the survey; respondents included doctors from 13 specialties, with representation from each NCHD grade. Ninety-nine percent had previously participated in research, and 87% acknowledged the importance for doctors to be involved in research. Forty-four percent of NCHDs stated they would consider travelling abroad to complete research. Eighty-six percent agreed training relating to the new regulations would be useful; however, only 25% had received training. Our results confirm that NCHDs in Ireland are enthusiastic about engaging in research. The majority acknowledge the value of research in career development. Engaging in research abroad could be further explored as a factor impacting emigration. Our findings show that NCHDs in Ireland are concerned about the impact of GDPR and HRR and are seeking further training.

Physician, heal thyself: a cross-sectional survey of doctors’ personal prescribing habits

BackgroundSelf-prescribing and prescribing to personal contacts is explicitly discouraged by General Medical Council guidelines.AimsThis study examines how widespread the practice of self-prescribing and prescribing to personal contacts is.MethodsA 16-item questionnaire...