The Irish Association of Young People in Care (IAYPIC) carried out 10 consultation focus group events as requested by the Health Information and Quality Authority. The consultation process was facilitated by the Aftercare Support Network Coordinator and a Children’s Rights and Participation Officer in IAYPIC, and took place throughout December 2009.
This Annual Report is the third report of the Health Information and Quality Authority (the Authority) and represents an important milestone in the context of an overview of the work undertaken by the Authority during 2009. It also provides an insight into the impact this work has had on improving quality and safety in Ireland’s health and social services.
In the Authority we fundamentally believe that if we are not making a positive difference on the lives of people using these services then we are not achieving our objectives.
The Authority has conducted an International Review of Privacy Impact Assessments. The review examines the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and Europe.
The General Practice Messaging Standards, published by the Health Information and Quality Authority, are technical standards for information systems that outline the way patient information, ranging from blood test results, diagnosis information, referrals and X rays, can be accurately and safely transferred between healthcare services.
The Report of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse, commonly referred to as the Ryan Report (the Ryan Report, hereafter), was published on the 20 May 2009 and the Government accepted the recommendations in full. Subsequently, an implementation plan was published by the Offi ce of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (OMCYA) in July 2009 to respond to each recommendation made in the Ryan Report.
This report presents the findings from the National Quality Review of Symptomatic Breast Disease Services that has been undertaken by the Health Information and Quality Authority (the Authority). This Review was undertaken in order to monitor progress with the implementation of the National Quality Assurance Standards (the Standards) for symptomatic breast disease (SBD) services in Ireland(1). All designated centres were expected to be fully established as specialist centres and meeting the Standards by the end of 2009.
The Authority recognises the importance of increasing the quality, safety and care for all children in Ireland but is most especially concerned with those children who are particularly vulnerable and find themselves living away from their families. Whether as a result of disability, a problem in the family or a criminal offence, these children require special consideration and protection.
In the information society there is an increasing awareness of the value of personal information. However, personal information must be managed properly in order to protect those whose information it is, and in order to maximise the potential benefits to be obtained from the collection and utilisation of such information(1). As a result, the development of national standards and guidelines for health information governance (IG) is at the forefront of the Irish health information agenda.
Colorectal cancer is the second most frequently diagnosed cancer in men and women in this country. During the time period 2002 to 2005, an average of 2,040 new cases of colorectal cancer were diagnosed each year. During the same time period, an average of 925 people died each year from the disease.
In June 2009, the Minister for Health and Children requested the Authority to:
