Health
Research
in Action
Introducing Health Research in Action
This year’s Health Research in Action highlights some of the many notable impacts and outcomes of the Health Research Board's work during 2020, from a timeline of our huge contribution to Ireland’s efforts to combat COVID-19, to the other important research we continued alongside this. Included are 22 success stories of wide-ranging health and social care research across four themes, all of which are featured individually on this page. You can also download the full publication at the link above, or at the bottom of this page.
Theme one: Improving health behaviour and healthcare processes
Success stories
1) SPECPREDICT: A new imaging tool to predict outcomes in cancer patients
2) Health Behaviour Change Research Group at NUI Galway
4) Like a good red wine, stored red blood cells improve with age
5) A helping hand for hand hygiene in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU)
6) AIIHPC — research to meet the growing need for palliative care
Theme two: Empowering diverse voices in health
Success stories
1) The patient perspective on improving day-to-day tasks with Multiple Sclerosis
2) IPPOSI – giving patients the skills and confidence to shape research
3) HRCI-HRB joint funding enables health charities to do research
4) The People’s Trial: A health study designed by and for the public
5) The power of the patient effect on health research
6) Ethnic minorities - data can drive more equitable healthcare
Theme three: Better health in pregnancy, childhood and adolescence
Success stories
1) Stop the clot! Raising awareness of thrombosis in pregnancy
2) More awareness needed to prevent harm from an anti-epileptic medicine in pregnancy
3) The search for early signs of cognitive delay in children
5) A new insight into stress responses in adolescents
Theme four: Gathering evidence for health policy and services
Success stories
2) Electronic cigarettes - what are the risks for health?
3) Drug poisoning deaths in Ireland - unmasking trends among women
4) Drinking in Denial: In Ireland we underestimate harmful alcohol consumption
5) Treatment for cocaine rising in Western Europe
Acknowledgments
Thanks to science writer Dr Claire O’Connell and our valued HRB and HRB-funded researchers for helping us compile this year's Health Research in Action. Sincere acknowledgement also to the public, patients and carers, as well as the health and social care professionals, that make so much of our work possible.
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