HealtH Matters 111
HealtH researCH
stroke occurs, saving lives and reducing these examples only give a snapshot
pressure on acute hospital services. More of the research taking place across the
than 700 patients have been treated at this system. It is important to emphasise that
clinic, led by Dr Peter Kelly. it is not all about practitioners. Health
Zena Moore, a practising nurse and an managers also have an important role.
HRB Research Fellow, discovered that they can support their staff to do research
a small change in patient management by working with them to identify a good
practices, which involves tilting bed- research project and giving them time out
bound patients at a 30 degree angle to do research. More importantly, they can
rather than a 90 degree rotation, resulted be knowledge brokers – the people who
in a four-fold reduction in the incidence help ensure the new research findings are
of pressure ulcers among patients. It actually applied in health care or health
also saved nursing staff time and cost system practice.
less to do. the Irish research landscape has
A multi-disciplinary team at Beaumont been transformed in the last 10 years. a
Hospital, which included administration, substantial capability has been built up
ICt, nursing staff, physicists and and the HRB has had an active role in
consultants created a new electronic developing the health research component
patient record to manage treatment and of this. the next challenge is to focus on + HRB Chief Executive Enda Connolly.
support of epilepsy patients. the system how research can be translated or applied
saves significant time and ensures that the to deliver better care of patients, improve
most up to date information is available health service delivery and inform health
to the entire care team at the same time. policy – it is this step that provides the
this model is already benefiting more opportunity to make that difference. “as a result of the
than 1,000 epilepsy patients treated at
Beaumont Hospital in Dublin. It is a making sense Of the latest
willingness of so many
strong learning model that could be research availaBle
of you to change how
used in the treatment of other complex A really practical tool that the HRB has
chronic conditions. made available here and people working
we do things over the
a new internet-based system has in health care should be aware of is the
been developed that allows patients to Cochrane library. With millions of scientific past few years, we are
self-manage their warfarin dosage. It has articles published in research journals
improved the control of warfarin compared each year, making decisions about health
in a better position to
with the current anticoagulant management care can be really difficult because of the
minimise the effect of
service, is more convenient for patients and volume of information available in journals,
saves valuable clinical time. books, magazines, newspapers and on
the budget pressures the
the internet. some of this information and
where can yOu finD Out advice may be helpful, but some could be country is facing.”
mOre aBOut health research inaccurate or harmful.
funDing? the Cochrane library is a clinical
If you or your team wants to do research, treasure trove that can help people
the HRB runs a range of competitive with this dilemma because it provides
funding programmes. the details of all Cochrane reviews, compiled by experts
funding opportunities are available on in the field, which pull together all the
our HRB website www.hrb.ie. Go to available research evidence about
Research, Strategy & Funding then Grants particular treatments. The HRB has taken
and Fellowships. out a subscription for Ireland, which means
If people are interested in putting a that everyone in the country can access
proposal together, but are not quite sure the Cochrane reports. last year, more
how to do so, the HRB also runs a series than 60,000 documents were downloaded
of grant-writing workshops which are in Ireland alone. Find out more at
specially designed to help people develop www.hrb.ie. Go to Quick Links box and
a competitive proposal. select Cochrane-Collaboration.
HM Iss6.1 p71-128.indd 111 12/03/2010 15:28:37
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