Cardiology
Associate Professor Drew Fitzpatrick
The “Towards a Safer Culture” Project is a Clinical Support System Project funded by the Federal Department of Health, Commonwealth Department for Health & Aging, the New South Wales Department of Health and sponsored by the Royal Australian College of Physicians.
The multicentre project is now in its second stage and involves 11 area health services. The project aims to establish a system to improve the quality of health care and outcomes of those who have had heart attack and stroke.
Associate Professor Fitzpatrick, the clinical director of TASC, is currently conducting research at Nepean Hospital on the HAT Trial (Home Automated External Defibrillator Trial) testing the hypothesis that patients who have had a heart attack can benefit from an automatic defibrillator in the instance of cardiac arrest in the home. The increased sophistication of design has led to successful use of these devices by non-medical bystanders. The ambulance service is currently investigating the installation of these in public places in the future.
Drew is the Deputy Editor of the Internal Medical Journal, having been Cardiology Editor for 10 years. For the past 3 years, he has also been the Cardiology representative on the Written Examination Committee of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians.
Guy D. Eslick
Guy is currently studying for a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) through the University of Sydney, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health. His PhD research interest involves the study of chest pain, which is a common and worrying medical problem. Many patients who come to hospital with chest pain do not have heart disease. It is not known how common this problem is in the Australian community, of what makes some people go to hospital and others not, or what the problem costs the health care system. Several studies have been conducted among patients who present to the Emergency Department of Nepean Hospital and in the Sydney community to evaluate all these important issues. This information should assist with the planning of health care and developing preventative strategies for chest pain.
Guy hopes to take up research in the future concerning clinical trials using new treatments for patients with non-cardiac chest pain.
Contact details
Associate Professor Drew Fitzpatrick
Phone: +61 2 4734 2605
Fax: +61 2 4734 3066
Email: fitzpad@wahs.health.nsw.gov.au
Department of Cardiology
Nepean Hospital
PO Box 63
Penrith
NSW, Australia, 2751