HOSPITALS The hospital will also be performing minimally invasive hip surgery; computer navigated knee surgery and will also offer cutting-edge surgical treatments for shoulder, hand, wrist, foot and ankle conditions. Strathfield’s new team of orthopaedic surgeons, who treat many of Australia’s sporting elite, will also be performing a number of “tailor made” procedures such as the reverse shoulder operation. This technique uses MRI scans to create a 3D image of a patient’s joint which is then used to fashion a patient-specific mould attached during surgery. “Conventional shoulder implants could not necessarily address both arthritis and rotator cuff damage,” says Orthopaedic Surgeon Dr Jonathan Herald. “As a result, patients often had no choice but to endure pain with restricted shoulder function. “In decades past it was a one-size-fits-all approach, but now we can perfectly see, size and fit the joint.” Strathfield will open a comprehensive centre for orthopaedic care in 2016 Chilli visits patients Baringa Private Hospital has a new service for its rehabilitation and mental health unit patients Chilli the black Labrador visits every Friday with her owner Kyra who is a certified assistant trainer for dogs and volunteers her time. Chilli has been well received by patients, visitors and staff who look forward to her visits every week. Chilli the black Labrador visits patients at Baringa Private Medical Scribe Ryan McCorry at Noosa Hospital. We’ll get your on your sporting feet again... with 3D joint replacement Strathfield Private will expand its orthopaedic services in 2016 - providing new, comprehensive care for acute, work, sporting and arthritic injuries in orthopaedic patients. Medical Scribes to assist Emergency Doctors at Noosa Hospital A new note taking system has been introduced at Noosa Hospital with the aim of providing enhanced quality of care to patients. The MedScribe system involves a scribe taking notes for doctors during treatment in the Emergency Department. Noosa Hospital Chief Executive Officer, Jude Emmer, said the introduction of a scribe program in the Emergency Department would be beneficial for her medical and nursing staff and help to ensure a great system of care that provides the best outcomes for patients. “The intention behind this new initiative is for patients who come through our Emergency Department to be seen sooner and their consult thoroughly documented as they are being seen by the physician,” Jude said. “In the week since we commenced the scribe program we have already received positive feedback from patients.” “One patient said how impressed he was with the use of a medical scribe. The consulting doctor was verbalising what she was doing and this allowed the patient to listen to the detail of the examination. It instilled confidence that the information was being entered into patient notes at the time of the examination ensuring that everything was being attended to in real time.” Dr Phebe O’Mullane, a Noosa emergency specialist, said medical scribes were a brand new concept in Australia, but has been used extensively in the United States for more than fifteen years. MedScribe, the first Australian medical scribe staffing company, based on the Sunshine Coast, is changing all that. “It is all about educating the physicians and hospitals that 10 The Ramsay Way 2015 | 04 there is a smarter way to practice medicine. I believe as doctors we should be practicing more medicine and spending less time on clerical duties. Our patients from within the local community deserve the highest possible quality care available. While my scribe works alongside of me, I feel like I can provide this as I am not distracted trying to perform time consuming administrative tasks.” Dr O’Mullane said. Scribes are individuals specially trained in medical documentation who assist a physician throughout their shift. They are present during medical consultations and are trained to document clinical patient encounters as they occur. Dr O’Mullane speaks with the benefit of first-hand experience, having been a scribe in America in the nineties during her ten year studies to become an Emergency Doctor. Her medical supervisor and mentor at the time was also the Director of E Scribe. Dr O’Mullane said the doctor still has to sign off on the notes but it saves a great deal of time. “The introduction of medical scribes in the Emergency Department will allow all doctors to focus on providing better quality care to patients and allow us to see more patients, further reducing wait times.” Twelve pre-med students studying for a Bachelor of Biomedical Science at the University of the Sunshine Coast are currently training to be medical scribes in a nationally accredited program run by MedScribe. The course involves rigorous scientific training and fifty hours in a clinical setting. Pre-med student Ryan McCorry is an experienced scribe employed by MedScribe and is currently working alongside Dr O’Mullane and other doctors in the Emergency Department at Noosa Hospital. “It’s an amazing experience to work alongside the doctors and nursing staff and understand the pressures on emergency departments every day,” Ryan said. “I also appreciate the insight into the patients experience and the important role we all have to play in the process.”
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