6 | GPH News – February 2019 New immunology suite offers patients a
superior experience
Dr David Heyworth-Smith has been helping people manage their allergies long before
the skyrocketing prevalence of these conditions.
The immunologist has based himself in
the same rooms at Greenslopes Private
Hospital since the early 2000s.
But the specialist and his team are
moving to a bigger suite this month to
cater for increasing demand.
Dr Heyworth-Smith said the new space,
with its additional rooms, would allow
more patients to be seen.
“We have created a superior clinical
experience for them,” he said.
Dr Heyworth-Smith said the focus
for the team, which welcomed fellow
immunologist Dr Babu Philip in December,
was on helping people manage chronic
allergic and immune diseases.
“We think in the next few years we’ll be
able to look at the availability of oral
immunotherapy for peanut allergy, for
example” he said.
Dr Heyworth-Smith said the
immunology landscape had changed
since he had gone into practice. “With
the advent of better diagnostic tests and
biological therapies we now have more
opportunities to provide people with a
more precise diagnosis and targeted
treatment,” he said.
Dr Heyworth-Smith sees patients of all
ages, but he said the biggest increase
over the past decade had been children
with food allergies.
“That’s likely due to a combination of
things including changes in our gut
microbiome, alterations to the Western
diet and lifestyle, and changes in early life
exposure to infective pathogens.” he said.
Dr Heyworth-Smith and the team will
now be based in Suite 2D in the G10
Suites on Denman St. The contact
details remain the same.
Research to lessen the burden of pressure injuries
Staff at Greenslopes Private Hospital
will lead research aiming to reduce the
prevalence of pressure injuries, which
affect the skin and/or underlying tissue
as a result of pressure or friction.
The incidence of pressure injuries is rising in
Australia, with patients spending an average
of almost 24 days longer in hospital than
patients without a pressure injury.
Nurse Unit Manager Catherine Stewart
has worked at Greenslopes Private
Hospital for almost two decades and has
seen firsthand the significant impact of
pressure injuries.
Motivated by a desire to turn these
observations into improved outcomes
for patients, Ms Stewart applied for an
Innovation Grant offered by the Gallipoli
Medical Research Foundation (GMRF).
Based on the hospital campus, GMRF
conducts a range of innovative medical
research projects and programs to
address the impact of serious illness,
both now and for future generations.
The GMRF Innovation Grants provides
funding to GPH staff to establish a
one-year research project aimed at
enhancing outcomes for hospital patients
and staff.
The driving theory behind Ms Stewart’s
Catherine Stewart (centre) receives her grant from GMRF co-patron, Professor John Pearn,
and Karen Gaston from Innovation Grant sponsor Thynne & Macartney
research project is that the rate of
pressure injuries can be significantly
decreased by enhancing staff education
on prevention and management.
“With the right knowledge pressure injuries
are preventable,” Ms Stewart said.
“I’m hoping that in the short term,
education of staff will lead to a reduction
in the number of pressure injuries we’re
seeing, and in the long term improve
outcomes for every patient admitted to
this hospital.”
Ms Stewart is trialling an education
program which will include a test
mannequin, resources and a specialist
wound nurse who will visit wards to
educate staff on pressure injury staging,
management and prevention.
The education strategy will initially be
conducted by the specialist wound nurse
over a three month period from May to
July 2019 – the months with the highest
reported rates of pressure injuries - with
a view to educate staff to make sustained
changes to staff practices.
Ms Stewart, who works extensively with
the stomal ward, said: “The potential
value of this research project isn’t limited
to just one ward. Improved education can
help to enhance the health of patients
throughout the hospital.”
This grant was proudly funded by
GMRF Discovery Partner Thynne and
Macartney Lawyers.