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Rationale, aims and objectives This study aims to examine the public's knowledge and perceptions of connected health ( CH). Methods A structured questionnaire was administered by face-to-face interview to an opportunistic sample of 1003 members of the public in 11 shopping centres across Northern Ireland ( NI). Topics included public knowledge of CH, opinions about who should provide CH and views about the use of computers in health care. Multivariable analyses were conducted to assess respondents' willingness to use CH in the future. Results Sixty-seven per cent of respondents were female, 31% were less than 30 years old and 22% were over 60 years. Most respondents had never heard of CH (92%). Following a standard definition, the majority felt CH was a good idea (≈90%) and that general practitioners were in the best position to provide CH; however, respondents were equivocal about reductions in health care professionals' workload and had some concerns about the ease of device use. Factors positively influencing willingness to use CH in the future included knowledge of someone who has a chronic disease, residence in NI since birth and less concern about the use of information technology ( IT) in health care. Those over 60 years old or who felt threatened by the use of IT to store personal health information were less willing to use CH in the future. Conclusion Increased public awareness and education about CH is required to alleviate concerns and increase the acceptability of this type of care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Internal migration, because of its selectivity, has been recognised in Britain, Europe, and the USA as a major influence on geographical patterns of ethnic and social segregation. Despite this, and despite its history of communal division, plus accounts which have emphasised population moves as a cause of segregation, far less academic attention has been paid to dynamic migration processes in understanding the evolution of spatial population patterns in Northern Ireland (NI). This paper attempts to address this gap by considering how far internal migration - defined as address changes - has redistributed the population with regard to (a) religion and (b) social deprivation between 2001 and 2007. Using data from the Northern Ireland Longitudinal Study (NILS), the paper finds that Catholics and Protestants move from and to the same sorts of places with regard to deprivation but that there was some evidence of differential mobility behaviour with regard to individual community affiliation and other individual socio-demographic characteristics. However, there is no evidence for increases in either communal or social segregation. It is suggested that this is because relatively few people move, they move only short distances, and the current net redistributive impact of migration is therefore small. It is hypothesised that a much more dynamic population with regard to migration is needed to increase or decrease segregation. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Shrinkage of the donor pool coupled with an increasing demand for blood presents a major challenge to maintaining an adequate blood supply. Consequently it has become even more important to reduce inappropriate blood use, including decisions about when and how much blood to prescribe. This study aimed to ascertain the levels of inappropriate practice and factors associated with it. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: The medical records of a randomly selected sample of hospital patients in Northern Ireland who received a red blood cell transfusion during 2005 (n = 1474) were reviewed, and inappropriate transfusion and overtransfusion criteria were applied. Logistic regression models were used to identify factors associated with inappropriate practice and overtransfusion. RESULTS: In this study 23% of transfusions were considered inappropriate, occurring most commonly where the lowest hemoglobin (Hb) threshold for transfusion applied. Younger patients, those undergoing surgery, and those with lower comorbidity and higher Hb values were most likely to have an inappropriate transfusion. Among patients appropriately transfused, 19% were overtransfused. Females and those of lower weight (<65 kg) were most likely to be overtransfused. CONCLUSION: While the choice of criteria used to judge decisions will influence the absolute level of inappropriate or overtransfusion reported, our findings suggest that a significant minority of clinicians are either unaware of or are reluctant to accept lower transfusion thresholds. To improve further improve transfusion practice we suggest that barriers to the implementation of recommended transfusion thresholds should be examined and guidance on an appropriate posttransfusion Hb level developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]