Dr. Shane Knox, President of the Irish College of Paramedics, has won a HSE Open Access Research Award. It was awarded for his study entitled "A qualitative assessment of practitioner perspectives post-introduction of the first Continuous Professional Competence (CPC) guidelines for emergency medical technicians in Ireland" which is available from Lenus at: http://www.lenus.ie/hse/handle/10147/556424. Additionally his article entitled: A national study of Continuous Professional Competence (CPC) amongst pre-hospital practitioners" also won an award - http://www.lenus.ie/hse/handle/10147/583444

The Open Access Research Awards have proven very successful in raising the profile of Irish health research. In 2013, the HSE published a statement on open access publishing in line with the Government’s endorsement of a similar national statement. The awards were established to recognise the efforts of healthcare professionals and others conducting research in the Irish health system. It has proven a valuable forum for promoting staff engagement within the health services, and it aims to build and improve the evidence and knowledge base underpinning our health services.

The research must address an issue relating to health or the health services. It can draw on expertise from anywhere across the spectrum, from the medical, nursing or social care disciplines to administration or management. Its ultimate aim should be to inspire progress or fundamental change in our collective understanding of an important issue.