All Ireland Traveller Health Study Our Geels - Department of Health ...

All Ireland Traveller Health Study
training for the study coordinators to process the information and give feedback (e.g. on the questions
for inclusion in the instrument; the application of the protocols at local level and the training of the Peer
Researchers on the electronic instrument).
The laptops were disseminated at the final training session on 9th September. 180 computers were
distributed to the 400 Peer Researchers in the Republic of Ireland. 36 computers were distributed to the
72 Peer Researchers in Northern Ireland at a later time.
Following feedback from the training sessions, the study coordinators worked intensively with the Peer
Researchers in preparation for the census, ensuring that both they themselves and the Peer Researcher
were fully competent in, and confident with, the use of the electronic audiovisual instrument. Peer
Researchers worked in teams and shared a computer. More Peer Researchers were trained than were
required to allow for replacements and to allow the Peer Researchers to work flexible hours. This
training provided by the study coordinators and the time and effort of the Peer Researchers proved
invaluable and led directly to the success of the census. The local experience and knowledge of the
study coordinators once again proved vital as they were able to roll out the study at a pace suited to
the local context and capacity of their Peer Researcher teams.
The study website held information about the role of study coordinators and the Peer Researcher
teams. This information was outlined in our detailed protocols, along with the final training folder
with copies of all presentations and handouts from the training ‘Trainer’s Training Course’, and the
information was available to download.
At completion of training, there were 54 centres around Ireland that had trainer coordinators and
who had trained 400 highly competent Traveller Peer Researchers. These Peer Researchers ultimately
gathered and uploaded the census data.
Consultation Forum
The ongoing link with the study coordinators through electronic feedback and discussions during
training allowed the Team also link through them to the Peer Researchers and local Travellers for
consultation and piloting of the design and adaptation of the study instruments and protocols.
Communication and Dissemination of Information on the Study
Study Promotion
There were several information meetings with various stakeholders before the study was formally
launched on 10th July, 2007 in Croke Park. The national publicity campaign was multi-media in format
and included radio (e.g., ‘The Last Word with Matt Cooper’) and newspapers (e.g., the Irish Times and
the Irish Independent) and was broadened to include national television (e.g., ‘Nationwide’).
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