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Frequently Asked Questions about the Wound Healing Service |
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Q. What is a chronic wound?A. Wounds may appear on any part of the body and they are wounds that can take a long time to heal or reoccur on a regular basis. They can be the cause of significant pain and immobility and can interfere with a person’s quality of life.
Q. Can anyone visit the Wound Healing Service?A. Anyone is welcome to visit the Wound Healing Service. We recognise that people with wounds may ‘slip through the gaps’ of the health system due to problems with accessing busy outpatient hospital clinics, poor mobility, costs associated with purchasing wound care products, and services and difficulty finding wound care expertise . You do not have to have an active wound to visit the Service because we recognise that the key to preventing chronic wounds from occurring or recurring is early intervention and assessment.
Q. Do I need to make an appointment?A. You do not have to make an appointment to attend the Wound Healing Service, however appointments are preferred to ensure that you are not kept waiting too long and that you receive the time and focussed attention you deserve. Appointments can be made by phoning (07) 3138 6109 or emailing woundhealing@qut.edu.au.
Q. Do I need a doctor’s referral?A. No. Anyone can make a referral to the Wound Healing Service. You can refer yourself or be referred by a family member, carer, general practitioner, hospital, community nurse or other health care professional. To make a referral to the Wound Healing Service call (07) 3138 6109 or email woundhealing@qut.edu.au.
Q. Do I need to tell my doctor about the treatment I will receive?A. Communication and collaboration is a key feature of the Wound Healing Service. With your consent, your doctor will be advised of the outcome of your assessment and plan of care, including any treatment recommendations and alternative referrals or resources required if appropriate. Regular feedback on your progress will also be communicated to your doctor. Q. What kind of wounds do you treat?A. Types of problems treated at the Wound Healing Service include:
Q. When is the Wound Healing Service open?A. Every Tuesday (except public holidays) from 8.00am until 4.30pm.
Q. How much does it cost?A. Initial, one-hour consultation costs:
Ongoing consultations cost:
The cost includes assessment and provision of wound dressings required at the time of consultation. Information regarding fees can be obtained by phoning 3138 6109 or emailing woundservice@qut.edu.au
Q. Can I claim my consultation fees with Medicare?A. The Wound Healing Service is supported by QUT and non-government grants, which allows the costs for patients to be kept as low as possible. At this stage, patients are unable to claim consultation fees with Medicare.
Q. What happens to my patient information?A. The Wound Healing Service will respect your privacy and take every care to ensure that your personal information is kept secure and not used inappropriately. We routinely collect and use personal information to ensure the delivery of appropriate, timely and quality health services.
Q. Am I going to be part of a research project?A. The Wound Healing Service is established primarily as a community outreach program to improve the condition of people living with chronic wounds. However, you may be asked to provide information to advance the ongoing research of chronic wounds. This participation is entirely optional and will not affect the quality or duration of your treatment.
Q. Where do I find more information?A. Please contact the Wound Healing Service via (07) 3138 6109 and speak with our friendly staff or email woundservice@qut.edu.au.
Q. How do I find the Wound Healing Service?A. The Wound Healing Service is located in the Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation (IHBI), 60 Musk Avenue, Kelvin Grove. The IHBI building is the new, orange building on the corner of Musk Avenue and Blamey Street in Kelvin Grove. See the Wound Healing Service Map for details.
Q. How is the Wound Healing Service different from other clinics in Brisbane?A. There are a number of health care centres offering different treatments for chronic wounds in Brisbane. The Wound Healing Service aims to complement these existing centres by providing a centralised and community-based service for patients that connects different health care providers through collaboration and sharing of evidence-based research outcomes. Patients who attend the Wound Healing Service are never discharged – they are always welcome to access the Service for regular health checks and to participate in social support activities with other people who have had, or are experiencing, a chronic wound.
Q. Is there parking on site?A. Yes, free patient parking is available. Please ask for a carpark permit when you book your appointments (by phoning: (07) 3138 6109). There is also short-term street parking available near the Wound Healing Service. Q. Is there transport available?A. Assistance with transport may be available for patients who have difficulty visiting the Wound Healing Service. Please enquire when you book your appointments (by phoning: (07) 3138 6109).
Q. Can I receive home visits?A. This service is not available at this point in time.
Q. How long do the appointments take?A. Initial consultations generally take 60 to 90 minutes and ongoing visits may take 30 to 45 minutes.
Q. What do I need to bring with me?A. It would be greatly appreciated if you could bring with you to your appointment the following items:
Q. What do I need to wear?A. Loose, comfortable clothing. We recommend that you may need to bring a large slipper or expandable shoe if you require bandaging of your lower limb.
Q. Do I need to pay for pathology tests? What happens to the results of these? Does my doctor receive a copy?A. At this stage, the Wound Healing Service is a recognised treatment facility however it is not yet part of the Medical Benefits Scheme. Therefore, medications and pathology tests prescribed by the Wound Healing Service will not attract any rebates and patients will have to pay full price to the pharmacy or pathology company. For this reason, the Wound Healing Service will work with your doctor to obtain pathology tests so that you can receive your usual rebates. The results of the tests would be provided to the Wound Healing Service and your doctor and you could continue to receive low cost and long term treatment at the Wound Healing Service at Kelvin Grove.
Q. Who runs the Wound Healing Service?A. The Wound Healing Service is operated by a dedicated Nurse Practitioner, Community Development Worker and a team of researchers.
Q. What is a Nurse Practitioner?A. A Nurse Practitioner is a registered nurse educated to function autonomously in an advanced and expanded clinical role. The Nurse Practitioner works in close collaboration with doctors and other health care providers. The nurse practitioner role includes assessment and management of clients using nursing knowledge and skills and may include referring patients to other health-care professionals, prescribing medications, and ordering diagnostic investigations. Nurse practitioners are leaders and experts in their specialty field, actively participating in research, quality initiatives and policy development in this field.
Q. Is a Nurse Practitioner a substitute for a doctor?A. No. The Nurse Practitioner is an advanced nursing role. The Nurse Practitioner will work in collaboration with the medical team. Some of the tasks performed by a Nurse Practitioner may also be performed by doctors.
Q. What is a Community Development Worker?A. The Community Development Worker is specifically trained to liaise with patients and to create social support for patients with chronic wounds.
Q. Do I need to be an Australian citizen or live permanently in Queensland to visit the Wound Healing Service?A. No. You do not need to be an Australian citizen or live permanently in Queensland to visit the Wound Healing Service.
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