News

7th September 2024

Intestinal Ultrasound Module 1 Course

In collaboration with the International Bowel Ultrasound Group

On the 7th of September, INITIative and IBUS hosted Ireland’s first Module 1 Intestinal Ultrasound Course in the Royal College of Physicians Ireland. Our faculty included, Prof. Glen Doherty, Prof. Christian Maaser, Prof. Mariangela Allocca, Dr. Lakshman Kumar, Dr. Cathy Rowan, Dr. Roisin Stack, Dr. Marry Hussey, Dr. Ion Cretu, and Dr. Alison Corr with organisation done by Annie Coe, Gregor Schuster, and Parker Girod and lectures by Prof. Christian Maaser and Prof. Mariangela Allocca.

A huge thank you to the IBUS Group for making this possible.

A special thank you to all of our sponsors!

6th September 2024

Inflammatory Bowel Disease Masterclass

Monitoring Disease in IBD

On September 6th, we hosted our first Inflammatory Bowel Disease Masterclass at the Royal College of Physicians Ireland. With an opening from Prof. Glen Doherty, Dublin, IE, our first session began with a special symposium on Personalised Care in Crohn’s Disease: Improving Outcomes in the Real-World by Dr. Mark Samaan, London, UK followed by:

Selecting PRO for Monitoring in IBD, Prof. Subrata Ghosh, Cork, IE

Biomarkers for IBD Monitoring, Prof. Laurence Egan, Galway, IE

The Place of TDM in Monitoring IBD, Prof. David Kevans, Dublin, IE

Capsule Endoscopy, Dr. Barry Hall, Dublin, IE

Chromoendoscopy, Dr. Sarah O’Donnell, Dublin, IE

with Prof. Eoin Slattery & Dr. Aoibhlinn O’Toole chairing.

This was followed by a special symposium on Gut Microbiome and Predicting IBD Outcomes by Prof. Alexander Moschen, Linz, AT into our second session, chaired by Dr. Cara Dunne with the following:

Monitoring Peri-anal Crohn’s, Ms. Tara Connelly, Limerick, IE

Peri-anal Ultrasound, Prof. Mariangela Allocca, Milan, IT

MR Enterography, Prof. Martina Morrin, Dublin, IE

Intestinal Ultrasound, Prof. Christian Maaser, Lüneburg, DE

A special thank you to all of our sponsors!

21st-22nd June 2024

Third Annual Summer School

Patient Reported Outcomes & the Patient Experience

The Third Annual INITIative Summer School was held at the Strand Hotel, Limerick on the 21st and 22nd of June. We had attendance from around the country including St Vincent’s University Hospital, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore, University Hospital Limerick, Galway University Hospital, Tallaght University Hospital, University Hospital Waterford, Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Drogheda, Mercy University Hospital, University College Cork, and the University of Limerick.

Speakers included:

Welcome and Opening Remarks, Prof. Glen Doherty, SVUH

Psychological Outcomes in IBD, Dr. Lisa Harpur, Senior Clinical Psychologist, SVUH

Statistics for Study Designs, Dr. Aonghus Lavelle, UCC

Nurse led IBD Research, Kathleen Sugrue, MUH

Nutrition & Quality of Life, Dr. Cara Dunne, SJH

Qualitative Research Techniques, Prof. Glen Doherty, SVUH

The MD Experience, Dr. Clodagh Murphy, CUH

Sexuality & Reproduction in IBD, Dr. Aoibhlinn O’Toole, Beaumont Hospital

With special guest lecturer Prof. Sebastian Shaji, Hull University, ECCO Treasurer on The Future of Patient Focused Research.

Workshops were led by Prof. Doherty, Dr. Lavelle, Dr. Dunne, and Prof. Shaji to help develop collaborative research studies. 

We look forward to seeing you all again next year!

Special thanks to our sponsors!

27 June 2024

New Publication!

HLA-DQA1*05 Allele Carriage and Anti-TNF Therapy Persistence in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Published in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases by Jayne Doherty, MD, Anthony W Ryan, PhD, Emma Quinn, PhD, Judith Conroy, PhD, Jackie Dolan, PhD, Roisin Corcoran, MD, Fintan O Hara, MD, Garret Cullen, MD, Juliette Sheridan, PhD, Yvonne Bailey, MSc, Cara Dunne, PhD, Karen Hartery, MD, Deirdre McNamara, MD, Glen A Doherty, PhD, David Kevans, MD

Read More…

17 May 2024

World IBD Day

Staff at St. Vincent’s University Hospital wore purple to raise awareness of Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis for World IBD Day

Upcoming Event!

Inflammatory Bowel Disease Masterclass in Monitoring Disease in IBD

Friday, September 6th

More information in EVENTS

Register interest here

Upcoming Event!

Intestinal Ultrasound Module 1 Course in collaboration with the International Bowel Ultrasound Group

Saturday, September 7th

More information in EVENTS

Spots are now full for this event.

Save the Date!

INITIative Summer School 2024- Patient Reported Outcomes & the Patient Experience

Friday, June 21st to Saturday, June 22nd

More information in EVENTS

Register interest by emailing c.coe@svhg.ie

January 2024

PPI Ignite Network statement on research ethics committee approval

There is a distinction between the requirement for approval from a research ethics committee and the ethical practice of research. Ethical practice of research is always expected. There are a number of guidelines available or under development that focus on ethical practice of PPI.

This statement from the PPI Ignite Network is intended to clarify if approval from a research ethics committee is required prior to public and patient involvement in research.

“Approval from a research ethics committee is not required for public and patient involvement (PPI) in the idea generation, planning, design, interpretation of findings, or dissemination stages of research. During PPI, contributors are not research participants or data providers.”

Disclaimer:
This information is for general purposes only. It is the responsibility of the research team to decide about research practices. They need to comply with research integrity obligations and ensure that ethical, data protection or safeguarding requirements are met. All principal investigators have a duty of care to members of their research team, including PPI contributors.

Access the statement HERE.

18-19th August 2023

Second Annual Summer School

The Second Annual INITIative Summer School was held at the Strand Hotel, Limerick this past weekend. We had attendance from around the country including St Vincent’s University Hospital, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore, University Hospital Limerick, Galway University Hospital, Tallaght University Hospital, University Hospital Waterford, Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Drogheda, Mercy University Hospital, University College Cork, and the University of Limerick.

Speakers included:

Prof Glen Doherty- Pragmatic Study Designs in IBD, Writing and Publishing

Dr Aonghus Lavelle- Statistics for Study Design

Dr Orlaith Kelly- Funding and Ethical Considerations

Dr Liz Ryan- Incorporating Lab and Translational Studies

Prof Marietta Iacucci- Endoscopy in IBD Research

Dr Lakshman Kumar- Developing Core Outcome Measures for Intervention Studies in Patients with IBD Who Have Stomas

Workshops were led by Prof Doherty, Dr Lavelle, and Prof Iacucci to help develop collaborative research studies. 

We look forward to seeing you all again next year!

Save the Date!

INITIative Summer School 2023

Starts: Friday, August 18th 2023 @ 2:30pm

Ends: Saturday August 19th 2023 @ 12:30pm

Location: The Strand Hotel Limerick

Research related education & workshops

(formal agenda to follow)

All are welcome, dinner will be provided, as well as overnight accommodation on a first come first served basis

Register your interest by emailing: c.coe@svuh.ie

19 May 2023

World IBD Day

Staff at St. Vincent’s University Hospital wore purple to raise awareness of Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis for World IBD Day

Summer 2022

First Annual Summer School

05 December 2017

INITIative December Meeting

NITIative will be hosting an Infliximab Therapeutic Drug Monitoring workshop on Dec 15th in St. Vincent’s University Hospital.  All are welcome to attend and asked to confirm their attendance by emailing initiativeibd@gmail.com

Please click here for more details

13 November 2017

INITIative @ ISG Winter Meeting 2017

At the upcoming ISG winter meeting, INITIative will host a session on IBD Cloud Based Solutions presented by Professor Glen Doherty and facilitate an open forum for those interesting in collaborating with the network to pitch their ideas.

INITIative Meeting Agenda. Click here

New Studies for INITIative. Click here

10 August 2017

“Gut Reactions: Tackling the rising incidence of IBD”

Prof Glen Doherty was recently interviewed for The Medical Independent where he discussed the rising numbers of IBD in Ireland and how improving our clinical trials infrastructure will benefit patients.

You can read this interview here.

03 July 2017

Current Project: INITIative sponsored Public and Patient Involvement (PPI)

This project seeks to understand how IBD from a patient perspective through focus group sessions. The themes that this study explores include knowledge of IBD; satisfaction with care; the impact of IBD on day to day living; perspectives on quality of life; and understanding of the current IBD research. The study was designed with patient and clinician involvement and so far we have conducted focus groups in three hospitals in three counties: Dublin, Galway and Mayo.

To date the focus groups sessions have been extremely informative and have provided in-depth insight into the themes discussed. Notable recurrent themes include the hope for a cure; the need for better regimens of care including a focus on treating acute pain; the negative impacts of stress on disease activity and positive impacts mindfulness/ counselling programmes; the potential benefits from dietary interventions; the need for more understanding and acceptance among the general public about the range of symptoms associated with IBD; the financial burden of IBD care; and the restructuring of how IBD patients are cared for as inpatients.

Several further focus group sessions are planned and thematic analysis will be applied to the data collected. INITIative will then produce an “IBD Patients’’ Perspective Roadmap for Ireland” which will be used to inform research priorities and improvements in care at the national level.

19 May 2017

World IBD Day

Staff at St. Vincent’s University Hospital wore purple to raise awareness of Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis for World IBD Day