INCREASING THE ED RESEARCH FOOTPRINT
Health Careers: Advice from an Emergency Physician in Research
Associate Professor Viet Tran, Emergency Physician, Royal Hobart Hospital
Filmed Hobart, Tasmania | September 2024
Associate Professor Viet Tran, an experienced emergency physician at the Royal Hobart Hospital. He spoke with Australian Health Journal about the crucial role of emergency departments as the frontline of hospitals, providing immediate care, diagnosis, resuscitation, and serving as a safety net for the healthcare system. Prof. Tran highlights the importance of understanding the daily responsibilities and core aspects of a specialty when choosing a medical career.
Recognising the relatively young status of emergency medicine as a specialty, Prof. Tran has taken on leadership roles to advance research in this field. In 2019, he became the Director of Emergency Medicine Research with the Tasmanian Department of Health, aiming to enhance the research footprint and collaboration within the specialty. His efforts have led to collaborations with national networks such as the PREDICT network and the National COVID research for ED, ultimately contributing to the development of emergency medicine research infrastructure in Tasmania.
Currently, Prof. Tran is leading a major MRFF study focusing on implementing clinical pathways in Tasmania to expedite the translation of research findings into improved patient care. This specific focus on this initiative is to minimise variations in patient care and address health inequities in rural and regional emergency department settings.
Associate Professor Viet Tran’s roles;
- Deputy Director of Emergency Medicine at Royal Hobart Hospital
- Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine, University of Tasmania,
- Founding Director, Tasmanian Emergency Medicine Research Institute
- Chair of the Tasmanian Emergency Departments Network
- Board Member, Emergency Medicine Foundation
- Co-Chair of the Tasmanian Health Senate
-
Dentist creates app to democratise oral health care
In this People In Health Care segment, Dr Gadiyar spoke to Australian Health Journal on how she hopes the app will help increase the number of people seeking dental treatment from the current 47% level in Australia. To date, 120,000 users have downloaded the app with more than 50 dental practices signed up with Smilo.ai to receive individual enquiries or seek dental treatment.
-
Primary care remodelled
Tracey Johnson is the CEO of Inala Primary Care, a not-for-profit general practice located in Inala serving approximately 7000 patients; 4400 of whom attend clinic regularly. Inala is a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland and has a population of great cultural and linguistic diversity, with just under 40% of residents speaking English at home. It is also one of Queensland’s most socioeconomically marginalised urban areas.
Australian Health Journal spoke with Tracey on the role of Inala Primary care in reducing hospital admissions.
-
Substantial increase in allied health funding for veterans through DVA
The Australian Federal 2026–27 Budget included several significant announcements relating to allied health services for veterans, largely tied to the Government’s response to recommendations from the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide.
