A new piece of technology at Logan Hospital diagnoses patients suffering dizziness caused by the inner ear.
Physiotherapists at the hospital’s emergency department will now play a key clinical role to help with the diagnosis.
The new technology has been used in the ear, nose and throat department at the hospital, and within the hospital wards.
A V-HIT (Video Head Impulse Test Unit) will now reside exclusively in the emergency department for use by specially trained physiotherapists to provide more timely and reliable results in patients of all ages.
Advanced physiotherapist Leia Barnes said the V-HIT has a high-speed camera that measured reflexes of the eyes and inner ear and minimised the need for a series of tests that took longer and were open to interpretation.
She said the computer filtered out often confusing information which meant patients could be assessed more quickly to determine whether the problem was related to the inner ear or if something more sinister was going on.
“Only about a dozen sites across Queensland own and have skills in using this technology and we are lucky enough to have three of those highly skilled health professionals working in our Emergency Department at Logan Hospital,” Ms Barnes said.
“We are extremely proud to be able to provide our patients with this amazing level of care using the latest technology which means they are treated more quickly so they can return home to their loved ones sooner.”
