'Picture of Health 2013' launched

Carrying excess fat on the waistline could prevent cancer killing cells from doing their job, according to a new Health Research Board (HRB) funded study. This fat can become inflamed in obesity and it has been linked with increased risk of several cancers including one called oesophageal adenocarcinoma. The findings are described in the latest edition of the HRB’s Picture of Health 2013 which was published Thursday 5th December.

The annual Picture of Health publication highlights, in non-technical language, recent and exciting developments arising from Irish health research funded by the HRB. Selected research featured includes projects completed in 2012 that seek to improve patient care, search for better treatments and inform health policy and practice.

Enda Connolly, Chief Executive at the Health Research Board says;

‘Research is of most benefit when it is applied in policy or practice. The HRB Picture of Health clearly demonstrates how our funding is delivering improvements for people’s health, patient care and health service delivery. But it also highlights the calibre, innovative thinking and expertise of the health professionals and academics involved in health research here in Ireland. Our current investment is actively supporting  these experts in their pursuit of better treatments, innovative approaches to care and provision of strong evidence to support positive changes in health policy and practice’.

Click here to view 'Picture of Health 2013' report

View Press Release here

Can my doctor be my Facebook friend?

In a recent Scrubbing up column on the BBC Health website, MDDUS medical adviser Dr Naeem Nazem looks at the serious ethical challenges facing doctors and the implications for the patient relationship when engaging through social media.

There are undoubted benefits as social media offers a platform for doctors to network effectively, share views and develop their own knowledge and expertise.For patients engaging with social media, it can educate and raise awareness by giving them greater access to healthcare information.

MDDUS figures reveal that between 2010 and 2012 advisers received over four times as many calls from doctors seeking guidance on the use of sites such as Facebook and Twitter, with indications suggesting this number will continue to rise this year.

“Patients interacting with their doctors on social media may inadvertently create an uncomfortable and awkward situation,” says Dr Nazem.

“It also risks blurring the boundaries in the doctor-patient relationship which could impact on the quality of care they receive.

“Doctors must keep their relationship with patients professional, or they risk becoming too close which can cloud their judgement and affect their objectivity and clinical decision-making.”

Read the full article on the BBC website at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-24850051

New books in Nursing & Midwifery Library

Located at shelf number 610.289 FIS

Located at shelf number 618.200711 WAL

44m living with dementia worldwide - study

The number of people living with dementia worldwide is set to treble by 2050. A new analysis by experts at the charity Alzheimer's Disease International says 44 million people live with the disease, but that figure will increase to 135 million by 2050.The figures were released ahead of a G8 dementia summit in London next week. 

The report 'The Global Imact of Dementia 2013-2050' says most governments are "woefully unprepared for the dementia epidemic". Alzheimer's Disease International expects increasing life expectancies to drive a surge in cases in poor and middle-income countries, particularly in South East Asia and Africa.

View report here 
Click here to view RTE press release

What's up, Doc? How comic strips are improving bedside manner

Doodling in class isn't what the teacher usually wants. But for a group of medical students in Chicago, it is exactly what they should be doing.

The crayons are there to help them become well-rounded doctors - by drawing cartoons.

The idea is that drawing the images, complete with speech bubbles, helps future doctors think about how they relate to patients in what they say, but also through body language.

In the cartoon strip commissioned especially for the article, the graphic artist and former HIV/Aids nurse MK Czerwiec explores how a doctor's brisk and breezy attitude towards a cancer patient makes her feel like "just another lab result". MK Czerwoec has also added drawing cartoons to the curriculum at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago, where she teaches.

Alexandra Jones is one of the Chicago medical students trying out the comic strip idea.

She said drawing a sickbed scene helped her understand the dynamics of a consultation from the patient's point of view. "It allows a good outlet for humour and kind of self-expression at times when it could seem insensitive or difficult to express otherwise."

Good doctor-patient communication does create tangible benefits for patients. Research has found that a doctor's good communication skills increase patient satisfaction - but also that it can improve physical health too - relieving symptoms like pain and improving measures like blood pressure and blood sugar levels

It's still too early to assess the full impact of comics on clinical outcomes. But Dr Ian Williams - a British comic artist, physician and joint editor of the Graphic Medicine website is confident that they have a role to play.

Read full article here on BBC News/Health

Irish Cancer Society donates €1m to bowel-screening programme

The Irish Cancer Society has donated €1m to the National Bowel Cancer Screening Programme, BowelScreen.

The money will be used to buy equipment in hospitals around the country to support the continued rollout of the screening programme.

Free bowel-cancer screening has been offered to people aged 60-69 since last year.

At a future date, the aim is to extend screening to those aged 55-74 years.

View article here

Analyse drug interactions on UpToDate

UpToDate® includes key drug and drug interaction databases – authoritative point-of-care information that helps minimize risk and increase patient safety.

Analyze drug interactions
UpToDate also provides thorough analysis of drug-drug and herb-drug interactions. Entering a patient’s medications identifies and summarizes potential interactions, along with an easy-to-understand risk rating and patient management steps. Clicking the name of a drug displays a monograph that supplies complete interaction details. Drug interactions are only available through online options; they are not available through UpToDate MobileComplete™ or the downloadable desktop add-on products.

Click here to access UpToDate 

and select Drug Interactions

Illustrated Textbook of Paediatrics - Lissauer

The 4th edition of Lissauer's Paediatrics along with the regular hardcopy version,
is also available Online:

http://books.google.ie/books/about/Illustrated_Textbook_of_Paediatrics.html?id=JjkDVHER

 Illustrated Textbook of Paediatrics

 

United Nations: Day of Disability

International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD) is a United Nations sanctioned day that aims to promote an understanding of people with disability and encourage support for their dignity, rights and well-being.

http://www.idpwd.com.au
 

Hidden sugars in common fruit drinks are contributing to childhood obesity

Hidden sugars in common fruit drinks are contributing to childhood obesity according to The Director of Human Health at Safefood  Dr Cliodhna Foley Nolan. Many parents hold the view that words like "juice" or "fruit" on drinks labels suggest that the drink contains little calories. However, she said drinks such as "those that say 'high-fruit', 'ready-to-drink' or smoothies have a wide range of sugar content in them". Dr Foley-Nolan was speaking as Safefood has produced an info-graphic identifying how much sugar is in sweetened drinks.

Safefood said that many of the drinks it compared contained as much sugar as fizzy drinks. For example, a 200ml serving of a popular juice drink contained 20g of sugar, which compared with 21.2g of sugar in Coca-Cola and Pepsi and 22.4g of sugar in 7Up. So really, the logic is to have a satsuma or some grapes instead of the juice," she said.

Obesity Specialist with the HSE Professor Donal O'Shea said there is clear evidence that "links the consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks to overweight and obesity among children and adolescents".He said parents need to start viewing these drinks as "threats not treats" and not something to be had every day. 

Read full article here 
Click here to view Info-graphic chart