Media Release
June 13 2008
Education to speed whiplash recovery
Improving
outcomes for people with whiplash-associated disorders is the goal of
UniSA Postdoctoral Senior Research Fellow
Dr Saravana Kumar, who has been awarded a prestigious
National Institute
of Clinical Studies Fellowship (NICS) to get the best available
treatments based on health and medical research into everyday practice.
NICS is part of the National Health
and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), and has offered the Fellowship
in partnership with TRACsa and
the Motor Accident Commission.
An independent body, TRACsa has developed a set of best practice
guidelines based on research aimed at improving outcomes for people with
whiplash-associated disorders.
Dr Kumar’s Fellowship is unique in that it is the first research project
in South Australia to look at physiotherapists and chiropractors in
terms of implementing best practice evidence.
A physiotherapist and a lecturer at UniSA’s
Centre for Allied Health
Evidence, Dr Kumar will
use the two-year Fellowship to work with physiotherapists and
chiropractors to address the gap between current treatment methods and
best practice guidelines in the management of patients with
whiplash-associated disorders (WAD).
Whiplash-associated disorders (WAD) are a collection of symptoms that
can include headache, neck pain, and stiffness.
“The prevalence of whiplash injuries is growing internationally and
contributes to about 42 per cent of all compulsory third party claims.
Despite a range of costly treatment and rehabilitation options, some
studies have shown that many people with WAD continue to suffer and
their long-term outcomes are quite poor. Some patients have poor
outcomes even after undergoing treatment for six months or a year, and
longer,” Dr Kumar said.
TRACsa guidelines recommend certain treatments for patients, who present
with whiplash in the initial stages at the acute level, and not others,
and some treatments that should never be used, as well as specific
treatments that should be used for chronic whiplash.
“If treated early using the guidelines, patient outcomes can be improved
significantly and the incidence of chronic conditions can be reduced,”
Dr Kumar said.
“A lot of research has gone into not just producing evidence of best
practice, but looking at implementing the evidence,” he said.
“My role will be to work with physiotherapists and chiropractors in 25
physiotherapy and 25 chiropractic clinics in Adelaide to educate two
providers in each clinic and support them to use practices that are
supported by evidence to make a difference,” Dr Kumar said.
“I will be looking at both qualitative and quantitative processes and
outcomes in the clinics, and will monitor the implementation of best
practice for whiplash-associated disorders, as well as responses from
patients with WAD.”
By working together with health care providers and consumers, and
identifying their unique perspectives of guideline implementation, Dr
Kumar aims to address the current evidence-practice gap in WADs
management.
Contacts for interview
- Dr Saravana Kumar office (08) 8302 2085 mobile 0402 335 592 email saravana.kumar@unisa.edu.au
Media contact
- Geraldine Hinter mobile 0417 861832 email geraldine.hinter@unisa.edu.au