Professor Clark Taking the Lead

Click here to see our fearless leader, senior clinician and Flinders University researcher, Professor Robyn Clark, explain her vision for nursing after her appointment as Professor of Nursing and Director of Nursing and Midwifery Research at the Southern Adelaide Local Health Network (SALHN).

Professor Hendriks in the Spotlight

Huge congratulations to Professor Jeroen Hendriks who has been appointed Deputy Chair for the Science Committee and appointed member of the Communication Committee at European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Association of Cardiovascular Nursing & Allied Professions (ACNAP).

As part of Global Atrial Fibrillation (AF) Awareness Week (from 21-27 November), Professor Hendriks, in this role as Deputy Editor of the EJCN provided an online overview on AF that you can view here.

CHAP Team Relocated

You will now find us on level 3 in the Sturt North building with the rest of the Caring Futures Institute (CFI) team. We are looking forward to making the most of this interim space until the new Health & Medical Research Building is ready in 2024.

Thank You for Being Part of our Workshops

We have now completed 12 workshops - 6 for CR4ALL (Cardiac Rehab for All) and 6 for CREW (Cardiac Rehab Especially for Women). Thank you to the 44 participants involved (26 and 18 respectively) and to the Cardiac Rehab (CR) Coordinators who supported us with the recruitment including Ann Felder (Riverland Mallee Coorong), Frank Circelli (Limestone Coast), Caroline Wilksch (Barossa Hills Fleurieu), Alyssia Smith (Port Lincoln), Louise McIvor and  Tracy Barry (CATCH Telephone), Katie Papps (Yorke and Northern - Wallaroo), Ceri Johns (Murray Bridge) and Linda Marshall (Flinders and Upper North - Whyalla). Your contribution is invaluable to the success of these projects.

Next Steps for CR4ALL 

The team are analysing the data collected in the workshops and will get back to the CR Coordinators in February 2023 for their feedback on how this can help to inform a clinical pathway for people with low socioeconomic status.

Your Input Required for CREW

We are now recruiting participants nationally through Her Heart to be involved in an online workshop. We are also conducting a survey with clinicians to understand their ideas on how we can implement cardiac rehab especially for women in SA.

Data Linkage and Evaluation of Outcomes

Our Data Manager, Mr Jon Foote has been busy cleaning data with extract 1 (baseline) now complete and anticipating the arrival of extract 2 in early December. Data cleaning for the AstraZeneca medication project has also been completed, with analysis to begin shortly.

Systematic Review Club Wrapping Up

The Systematic Review Club lead by Professors Clark and Hendriks held it's last meeting at the end of November after coming together in June 2021 to support the production of 10 systematic reviews. Of these two reviews have been submitted for publication and the rest will be submitted before the end of 2022 / early 2023.

Heart Health for Life in East Arnhem Land

Jess Maddock (formerly of iCCnet), Assoc Prof Shahid Ullah and Prof Robyn Clark visited Nhulunbuy, NT to meet with community leaders and begin the process of co-design for Flinders MRFF Cardiovascular Health Mission Project - Yolŋu Heart Health for Life: person-centred, co-designed and student-assisted cardiac rehab in East Arnhem Land. This will be a small-scale project to demonstrate that it is feasible to implement an evidence-based approach to cardiac rehab that identifies and targets culturally appropriate lifestyle factors to prevent further heart events. 

CATCH web (Online Cardiac Rehab) Modules

CATCH web can further support your cardiac rehab patients enrolled in CATCH telephone or face-to-face programs by providing further education on the CR Quality Indicators including: 
"Healthy eating and weight…  Stop the as-salt!" - your patients can unpack the details on the harm that over consumption of salt does to their bodies in Module 4.
"Tobacco… Up in smoke" - it’s never too late for your patients to give up smoking even if they have been doing so for decades. The video in Module 5a emphasises why it’s so important for them to kick the habit.
"Medication, education and review… Thrills and pills" - module 6 contains lots of resources to help your patients understand how their medications work and how to take them safely.
If you would like access to CATCH web or have any questions, please email us.

Big National Health Check

Did you miss it? Magda's Big National Health Check is available to watch on ABC iview. This three part series sees Magda Szubanski take a deep dive into the state of our health while reflecting on her own with a mission to improve our health and well-being as a nation.

The Book that Everyone Should Read

If you would like a hard copy of this book "Have you Planned your Heart Attack?", we have some available to give away. Please email us for more information. This book could save your life! Written by Dr Warrick Bishop, an experienced cardiologist has a very proactive approach to cardiac health and is very focussed on 'best care' for individual patients as he takes a holistic approach to patient management.