The National University of Ireland, Galway was founded in 1845 as Queen's College, Galway. The initial intake in 1849 was 63 students and NUI Galway is now a thriving institution with over 15,000 students, including students from over 40 countries, taking courses in six colleges/faculties.
The Department of General Practice was set up in 1997 by Professor Andrew W Murphy. Currently there is a staff of twenty, which includes two professors, six lecturers, nine researchers and three administration staff. During the academic years of 2005-2007 a total of six postgraduate courses were delivered as well as Year 1 and Year 5 of the undergraduate curriculum. Research funding in excess of €900,000 was secured by the department as lead applicant, with a further €6.3m in collaboration with other departments and institutions.
The Department of General Practice has a research focus on the north-western sea board region of Ireland and has a particular interest in professional practice in rural areas. The Department’s first study on telemedicine was led by Dr. Anne MacFarlane, 2004-2005. This study A Qualitative Review of Telehealthcare Services in the North Western and Western Health Boards provided a portfolio of e-health activities in the region and an analysis of service users’ and service providers’ experiences of telehealthcare and its implementation. Follow up research in 2005-2006, Telehealthcare for Arranmore Island, Co. Donegal: A Consultation and Development Project concentrated on a remote, island community setting. Participatory research methods were used to consult with the islanders and service providers about the potential for video conferencing equipment to enhance access to health and social care services.
International Collaborations
The Department of General Practice became involved in the EU Northern Periphery Programme in 2006 as a partner for the Preparatory Grant phase and is delighted to be a partner for the main project Competitive Health Services in Sparsely Population areas – eHealth Applications across the Urban-Rural dimensions.
Dr. Anne MacFarlane is involved in other international networks and activities that will contribute to this EU NPP research. She is member of an expert advisory group for a UK Service Delivery and Organisation funded project Understanding The Implementation and Integration of E-Health Services, led by Professor Frances Mair, University of Glasgow. Dr, MacFarlane is also a member of an international, Normalisation Process Model study group, led by Professor Carl May, University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The Normalisation Process Model has been developed to understanding how new clinical techniques, technologies and other complex interventions become routinely embedded in practice. The model offers practical value (understanding how new ways of thinking, acting and organizing become routine in practice) and a conceptual map (process evaluation of complex interventions and for the organization of implementation processes) for researchers, service planners and policy makers interested in eHealth services.