The Westmead Association Hospital Week Research Symposium is an annual event that features presentations from local researchers. It is an opportunity to showcase research and develop collaborations on the Westmead Campus. In particular it is an opportunity to showcase research to the general hospital campus community, including the patients and families that use the Westmead Campus services.
Research posters from across the Precinct were displayed throughout the Westmead Hospital from Wednesday 29th – 31st August. Several VREIA members showcased their VRE research at this event.
Su-yin Hor, Mary Wyer & Lyn Gilbert – along with two of the participants – Zhao, Ya (Cynthia) & Parmar, Rajesh, submitted a poster for their research study:
Clinician-led improvement using video-reflexive methods: A workshop trial and evaluation
This project provided a 1.5-day VRE workshop for nurses in Westmead hospital, to support them in designing, implementing and evaluating their own projects, to address issues in their own units. Support also included in-person advice during participants’ projects, and the loan of equipment. Several participants have completed their projects.
Through semi-structured interviews and a focus group with participants, we identified the factors that make it difficult for clinicians to undertake these projects, as well as the factors that enable them to do so. Our findings have immediate implications for developing future workshops and support for clinicians in undertaking projects using VRM. However, they also help us understand the challenges and opportunities involved when we ask healthcare professionals to undertake continuous learning and practice improvement, in order to provide safe care in increasingly complex circumstances.
Mary Wyer, Suyin Hor, Lyn Gilbert, Ruth Barratt, Tegan Dawson, Elizabeth Hobby, Kathy Dempsey, Patricia Ferguson, Mitchell Brown, Rosemary Sadsad & Nat Godbold submitted a poster for their research study:
Talking with patients: Improving clinician-patient communication around healthcare-associated infections using video-reflexive methods
This study is an ongoing researcher-led collaboration between Westmead Hospital Renal Unit staff, patients and families, infection prevention and control (IPC) practitioners, laboratory staff and infectious disease physicians. It aims to improve clinician-patient communication around the screening and identification of multi-drug resistant organisms (MROs), with a broader aim of reducing HAIs by increasing patient involvement in IPC.
Video recordings were made of the patient screening process on the renal unit, in the laboratory, and in the IPC offices. Clinician-patient communication was also recorded, and this was shown to patients, with their comments then added to the pool of video clips about the screening process. These clips were then shown to nurses, IPC practitioners and laboratory staff to generate discussion and strategies for improving current communication practices.
Patients, nurses and IPC practitioners were able to identify communication gaps, opportunities and strategies when viewing the clips of the MRO screening process. In particular, nurses were able to better appreciate the informational needs of their patients, and to design resources to support their communication with patients during this process.
videoreflexiveethnography.com 