Joining forces on good health

A WEIPA-based occupational therapist passionate about allied health services in remote communities is helping improve outcomes for patients.

Alice Cairns PhD, a HOT North Research Fellow at James Cook University’s Centre for Rural and Remote Health, is supporting the student-led community rehabilitation and lifestyle.

This collaboration between JCU and local health services involves allied health students working in multidisciplinary teams.

The project has been made possible thanks to a research grant worth almost $25,000 by the Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation.

Dr Cairns is one of two recipients to have received a grant this year.

“Because we don’t have a great deal of resources here, but we do have regular students here on clinical placements, we thought we could better use them to help improve outcomes,” Dr Cairns said.

“Often in remote communities like Napranum, if a person has a stroke or a disability and goes home, they don’t have access to community rehabilitation services like they would in larger towns and cities.

“In this project each patient will be supported by a team of allied health students.

“For example, someone who has had a stroke might see a team that includes physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy and social work.

“The students will work together, fully supervised, to fill a service gap and potentially improve the patient’s outcome and prevent hospital readmissions.”

The research project will entail students being appropriately supported and supervised, a project officer to develop procedures and collate results and some further analysis by Dr Cairns to assess outcomes.

“The chronic disease load in these remote communities is incredibly high and allied health professionals can have a very positive impact,” Dr Cairns said.

Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation chairman Dr Ken Chapman said this year the organisation had funded $112,000 in research grants.

“The foundation sees investing in research as paramount to the future of healthcare in our community,” he said.

In the 2018-2019 financial year, the foundation is providing $162,000 towards local research – its biggest ever commitment.

OFTEN IN REMOTE COMMUNITIES … IF A PERSON HAS A STROKE OR A DISABILITY AND GOES HOME THEY DON’T HAVE ACCESS TO COMMUNITY REHABILITATION DR ALICE CAIRNS

Picture: STEWART McLEAN PROJECT: Weipa-based occupational therapist Dr Alice Cairns with a sensory board for dementia patients. Her grant will be used for community rehabilitation and lifestyle in Cape York.