Scope for improvement:Beacon Care Fertility clinic has started to use EmbryoScope, an incubator that can increase the success rate of IVF, it says, by as much as 20 per cent. Incorporating a microscope, camera and computer, the EmbryoScope is a time-lapse incubator that provides continuous images of the embryo during the IVF process.
According to the clinic, this allows fertility specialists to better monitor how the embryo is developing and more easily identify the healthiest embryos for implantation.
Day surgery:The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland is conducting a study on best practice for day surgery in Ireland.
One element of the research focuses on the quality of patient information leaflets (Pils) to patients undergoing day surgery.
Leaders of the research team, Prof Séamus Cowman and Dr Georgina Gethin, will work with the National College of Art and Design and the National Adult Literacy Agency, among others, to develop Pils (paper and digital) that are pictorially led and that pass the “plain English” requirement and can be easily translated into other languages.
Quit smoking:The HSE has renewed its Quit campaign to help people give up smoking in the new year. A plan is available at quit.iealong with tips and advice for would-be quitters. See also the Quit Facebook page or tel: 1850 201 203.