Rural health service practitioners have recently completed simulated trauma training as part of the Enhancing Rural Trauma Response Project.
The project comes as a result of a partnership between the Mackay Institute of Research and Innovation (MIRI) and Glencore, who have invested $100,000 towards trauma care skills development for Mackay Hospital and Health Service (Mackay HHS) staff working in our most rural and remote facilities including Dysart, Moranbah, Clermont, Collinsville, Bowen and Proserpine communities.
Clinical Lead for Virtual Health and Mackay Base Hospital Emergency Department Senior Medical Officer, Dr John Hadok is currently travelling with the team of six delivering the training to the rural facilities.
“It will provide staff with both theoretical and hands on experience in the early recognition and stabilsation of trauma patient” said Dr Hadok.
“While many rural practitioners are highly experienced and highly skilled, being in a remote area means you don’t get to use those skill as often as you would in a regional centre” he said.
“Staff will have the opportunity to experience a real-life trauma situation with the use of high fidelity mannequins and with the support of the Telehealth Emergency Management Support Unit (TEMSU) video conferencing service”.
Innovative technological advancements such as TEMSU means remote and rural sites can connect with specialists in real time when needing advice and support.
“Sometimes rural patients are transferred to bigger centres, when with the right virtual support, there may be no need to do this. In these situations, or when waiting for retrieval from a major trauma, technology can really support rural clinicians to achieve better patient outcomes”.
For the patient who is suffering from either minor or major trauma, these systems will allow definitive trauma care to begin almost immediately after a patient’s arrival to a rural hospital.
As a result of the training program a patient can be confident they will be cared for by someone who has had the opportunity to practice those skills.
All rural and remote facilities across the Mackay HHS have successfully taken part in this training thanks to Glencore.