UK paediatrician Rachel Rowlands has spent a year at Princess Margaret Hospital where she has been involved in a landmark fracture project.
The project – Paediatric Buckle Fracture Pathway: Putting Evidence Based Protocols Into Practice – was named a joint winner at the recent WA Heath Awards in the Improvement in the Patient Journey category.
Dr Rowlands led the project, which included a redesign of the way ‘buckle’ forearm fractures are treated at the PMH Emergency Department.
She identified that buckle fractures could be treated safely via a splint instead of a plaster cast, which required follow up appointments and ongoing care.
Patients would now just wear the splint for three weeks and take it off, compared to a plaster that would involve an average of four hospital visits.
“We have basically reduced that down to one visit, which saves a lot of time and money for the parents,” Dr Rowlands said.
“I think it’s really good to see that something that has improved the care for patients is getting recognised. As doctors, that is what we should be striving to do – to improve how our patients are treated.
Dr Rowlands came to Perth for 12 months to take part in research and look after patients clinically in the emergency department but will return to the UK in February.
Dr Rowlands has been living in Mosman Park with her son and said they had loved their time in Perth.