December 2016
A new, second-generation Burns Management Guidelines website has been launched with funding support from Skilled Medical.
The Alfred Hospital’s Burns Management Guidelines are a nationally recognised clinical resource for the management of burn injuries.
The new website was officially launched on Friday 25 November 2016 at this year’s Rural Matters Symposium. Yvonne Singer, Victorian Burns Program Coordinator for The Victorian Adult Burns Service at The Alfred spoke to an audience of approximately 200 regional and rural clinicians. Her presentation covered the management of minor burns, the announcement and official launch of the new second-generation Burns Management Guidelines website.
Yvonne acknowledged Skilled Medical's ongoing support and total funding contribution of $66,000 toward both the first and second-generation Burns Management Guidelines.
The new Burns Management Guidelines website is mobile and tablet optimized and the newest feature is the use of video throughout the website to highlight key points in burns injury management and treatment.
Burn injuries in Australia and throughout the world continues to be a serious public health problem yet one that is often under reported, underfunded and inadequately researched.
According to recent World Health Organisation (WHO) figures, an estimated 265,000 deaths occur each year from fires alone with additional deaths from scalds, electrical burns and other forms of burns. Low and middle income countries have over 96% of fatal fire-related burns and millions of additional individuals are also left with lifelong disfigurements and disabilities caused by their burn injuries.
In response to the 2009 Black Saturday Bushfires in Victoria, Australia's worst natural disaster resulting in 173 deaths and 414 injuries, Skilled Medical funded the first research project by The Alfred Hospital Melbourne and the Victorian Adult Burns Service aimed at improving the care and management of patients with burn injuries in non-specialist settings. The outcome of this project was the launch of the first-generation Burns Management Guidelines in 2010.
From 2010 the Alfred Hospital’s Burns Management Guidelines were highly acclaimed, and experienced widespread use not only by medical practitioners throughout rural and regional areas of Australia but across the world too.
"Skilled Medical wanted to continue to contribute and support a practical project aimed at improving health outcomes for people with burn injuries especially for those living in rural and regional areas," said Dr David Campbell, Director of Skilled Medical. "We are pleased to once again support and fund The Alfred's second-generation Burns Management Guidelines website. It is expected that the new website will continue to help improve burn injury outcomes not only across Australia but in other parts of the world too."
The New Burns Management Guidelines Website
The Skilled Medical Management of Burn Injuries Project is Funded Through the Company's Social Responsibility Program