Foreword
Welcome to the Spring edition of Spectrum Journal, where we focus on the important issue of mental health. This topic is central to every area of work that our colleagues
and peers are involved in and within this issue we look at it from a variety of angles, including: adverse childhoodexperiences and effects on mental health; a volunteer’s reflection of psychological first aid; mental wellness among refugees; and wellbeing within the healthcare industry.
Meanwhile, we have a selection of clinical and biomedical engineering articles from contributing authors. Tresia Jose looks at advancements in injectable bone cement for vertebral compression fractures;
Amala Jenith Joshi Remo examines a novel concept to validate parietal signals for motor movements; Sheena Ajosh discusses unveiling the pinnacle in ultrasound scanner technology; and Theresa Brennan reports on brain function monitoring in the operation theatre and ICU.
In addition, Kate Byrne offers a student perspective on clinical engineering preventative maintenance and David Walsh shares a personal journey transitioning from Field Service Engineer to Hospital-Based Clinical Engineer. Elsewhere, Catherine Hussey also reports on the Department of Clinical Engineering celebrating 25 years in the UL Hospital Group.
The 2023 BEAI Annual Scientific Conference in Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Cork, was a huge success and was well attended by representatives from across the health service. We would like to thank all who attended and also our sponsors. To view our special edition of Spectrum Journal, dedicated to the BEAI Annual Scientific Conference, please visit
www.beai.ie. The conference this year will take place in Croke Park on the 20th September and we look forward to seeing you all there.
Finally, we encourage you all to contribute to this publication so please get in touch with Frank Kelly if you would like to submit an article for an upcoming issue,
Eoghan Hayden