allied health care services newsletter
TRANSCRIPT
Welcome to another issue of the Allied Health Newsletter. In the
following pages, there is information about training initiatives taken
by various Professions with the support of the Directorate as well
as activities and updates in service by different Professions. We
encourage anybody who wishes to have information included in
future editions to kindly send any articles to the Directorate.
ALLIED HEALTH CARE SERVICES NEWSLETTER V
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Inside this issue:
Allura System Training 1
World Incontinence Week 2
BLS Training 2
Service Updates by OT
Dept
3
Educational Initiative by
Dental Tech Dept
3
Putting minds together 4
Periodical of Allied Health
Research 4
In 2016 Mater Dei Hospital ( MDH ) saw a significant expansion in the interventional procedures offered by the
Medical Imaging Department ( MID ) . This was made possible with the opening of the 2nd interventional
theatre at the MID and the installation of a Philips Allura X-ray system.
This system allows the reuse of 3D vascular anatomical information from existing CT or MR angiography
datasets as a 3D roadmap overlay on a live X-Ray image. With its excellent visualization this vessel navigator
provides an intuitive and continuous 3D roadmap to guide the interventionalist through the arteries during the
entire procedure.
Thrombectomy is one of the procedures which were made possible with the introduction of this system. For
many years, cerebral stroke was regarded as an untreatable illness and a disease which could to some extent
be prevented but not effectively treated once it occurred. Modern stent retrievers and state of the art systems
such as the Allura X-ray system has made thrombectomies possible. This is one of the
most powerful treatments in any field of medicine which by removing the thrombus causing
a cerebral artery occlusion offers the patient significant clinical benefits including complete
normalization of neurologic function thus thwarting or reducing disability.
All radiographers working at the angiography suite had already received on site training on
the Allura x-ray system at MDH but with the aim of consolidating this training and improving
the expertise of these radiographers, it was decided that further training was necessary.
Angiography radiographers and other radiographers interested in joining this highly
specialized team were given the opportunity to attend a five day course of in depth training
at Philips training academy at Best in Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
This specialized training is being organized by the Medical Imaging Department and Philips
Medical Systems with the support of the Directorate of Allied Healthcare Services.
Allura System Training
Page 2
World Incontinence Week 2017
World Incontinence week is a yearly event
organised by the World Federation of
Incontinence Patients ( WFIP) and is held
during the 3rd week of June. The Women ’ s
and Men ’ s Health Physiotherapy service
at Mater Dei hospital organized a series of
activities to increase awareness about this
common
problem.
An event
was held
over two
days at the
Mater Dei
Hospital
foyer
where the
physio-
therapists
were available to answer questions and
give advice to the general public. The
primary aim was to educate and raise
awareness that conservative treatment is
available and should be the first line of
treatment. It was emphasized that
incontinence issues whether as a result of
childbirth, advancing age and other causes
can be managed in most cases and should
not be accepted as normal. Physiotherapy
treatment is available upon a doctor ’ s
referral. A series of articles will be
appearing in the local newspapers and
magazines to try to decrease the stigma
surrounding the subject.
The Service
The Women ’ s and Men ’ s Health service
was set up approximately 2 years ago and
operates from the Mater Dei physiotherapy
out-patient Department .It is involved in the
therapeutic treatment of all disorders
affecting the pelvis and pelvic floor.
Physiotherapists with training in Women ’ s
Health and Continence offer women of all
ages physiotherapy treatment for bladder,
bowel and pelvic floor conditions, bone
health, and women in the antenatal and
postnatal periods. Men with pelvic floor
disorders and following prostate surgery are
also seen pre- and post-operatively.
The physiotherapists work closely with the
obstetricians, gynaecologists, urologists,
gastroenterologists, colorectal surgeons,
nursing and midwifery staff to ensure a
holistic approach to continence and obstetric
care.
Basic Life Support Training
The Directorate is currently embarking on a Basic Life Support Training for Staff
members falling under its remit. The training will be started off with the new recruits
who have recently been employed.
Page 3
Service Updates by the Occupational Therapy Department
OT Service in Community Elderly Homes
The Occupational Therapy Department within RHKG - VGH are receiving referrals for
DECC community elderly homes, Individual patients living in the community and who are
house bound or in the palliative stage of their illness, MCH geriatric wards and MCH in-
patient wards in view of the need for customized splints for the referred patients. The
provision of such a service helps these patients in reducing the possibility of contractions
of the hands, minimize joint pain and assist the nurses, relative or carers in providing and
maintaining adequate hand hygiene.
Theme Group Therapy Programme
The Occupational Therapy Department within RHKG - VGH have devised a themed group
therapy program that takes place throughout the year. This consists of a whole week of
daily session dedicated to the particular theme that would be coming up. Apart from
discussions session also include cooking, crafts , watching a movie or listening and
moving to specific music of the theme. The participants of these groups are in-patients
that are on active and/ or long term rehab, who are identified by their ward occupational
therapist in view of their identified goals and continuous rehabilitation needs. The patients
express positive comments following each session and are satisfied with the results of
each session. Below are some pictures of the final products from the Valentine's Day and
Easter themed groups, respectively.
An ongoing educational initiative by the Dental Technology
In June 2016 , the dental technology department has embarked on a
voluntary outreach system , intended to educate patients , nurses and
carers in government nursing homes.
This was intended so as to reduce bacterial and fungal infections whilst
at the same time helps to keep healthy oral tissues. The training which we
are providing helps to reduce the chances of infection whilst at the same
time keeping the prostheses in a good condition. This will reduce the
frequency of repletion of work.
During the visits, we provide educational lectures for the staff
concerning the proper maintenance of dentures and also
pinpointing any ailment which might be due physical or biological
effects of neglected dentures. In turn, these will be reported for
advice at the dental clinic if needed.
Also individual demonstrations are given to patients showing them
the proper techniques for denture care.
Page 4 P
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Allied Health Care Services
Directorate
Palazzo Castellania
15, Merchants Street,
Valletta VLT 1171
Tel: 22992428
https://www.facebook.com/
groups/241501302645746
Putting minds together
A 2 day course entitled - Putting minds together, Cognitive behavioral
therapy - A physiotherapy approach was held between the 14th and
15th July, 2017 at the Neuro Out patients physiotherapy Department,
St Luke ’ s hospital, Pieta. The speaker was Dr Vasiliki Folia and the
Participants included including 6 physios from neurogym, 2 physios
from acute and 4 from rehabilitation wards, 1 physio from pediatrics, 1
neuro psychologist, 1 managerial staff from Amputee rehab
The course offered an introduction for physiotherapists about CBT.
Physiotherapists face challenges to treat neurological patients who
apart from very complex physical disabilities, a lot of them also have
cognitive limitations. This will affect patients ’ motivation, participation
in treatment, long term goal setting, discharging, and self management.
This course gave us an insight of how to tackle these different phases in the rehabilitation
process with patients suffering from different conditions and adapt CBT to coach towards
creating an active patient who will work in synchrony with the therapist in aim to achieve
their maximal independence.
Launch of the Periodical of Allied Health Research
The Directorate Allied Health Care Services has launched
the Periodical of Allied Health Research ( PAHR ) . This
is an annual periodical which aims to circulate already
published scientific research articles, reports, reviews,
appraisals, critiques and commentaries that are of interest
to the general community of Health Professionals. The
Directorate is currently accepting potential articles and the
deadline to submit the articles is 15th October 2017. The
first edition of the Periodical is to be published in
December 2017
Did you know?.....
Dental nurses” began to provide prophylaxis treatment
as a method to prevent disease in the 1880s. By 1906,
Alfred C. Fones trained his assistant, Irene Newman, to
act as an apprentice, scaling and polishing teeth. Fones
disliked the term “dental nurse,” so he changed the title
to dental hygienist .