Week commencing 14 March is Healthcare Science week. The aim of this week is to share with the local community and other health professionals how science and technology is vital in modern patient care and how it is changing lives for the better.
Why scientists are so important in healthcare
Healthcare scientists help prevent, diagnose and treat illness using their knowledge of science and their technical skills. They also work in more than 50 specialist fields which can be classified into four groups: laboratory sciences, physiological sciences, medical physics and clinical engineering and bioinformatics.
Did you know there are over 50,000 healthcare scientists who work for the NHS and public health services? They provide essential scientific services and they contribute to 80% of all patient diagnoses.
Clinical Health, Science at Benenden
At Benenden Hospital we have exciting opportunities for clinical roles related to health science.
Urodynamic science
For example, we carry out Urodynamic tests on patients as part of our Continence Care Specialist Nurse service. Urodynamic science is the investigation of lower urinary tract symptoms. Cytometry is a pressure flow study to measure how well the bladder functions, and Uroflowmetry measures the rate of urine flow.
Jan Chaseley, Clinical Nurse Specialist says: “The ultimate goal of Urodynamics is to aid in the correct diagnosis of lower urinary tract dysfunction, ensuring the patient receives the most effective treatment to improve their symptoms.”
Audiology
Audiology is the science of hearing, balance, and related disorders. Mrs Jenny Rose, our hospital’s Audiologist says: “Audiologists are Allied Healthcare providers that cover Hearing Aids and Diagnostic hearing tests. At Benenden Hospital we provide diagnostic tests to support our ear nose and throat (ENT) consultants.
“This normally entails checking the patients ears for wax or infections which could provide false results. Then Air and Bone conduction hearing tests are done to establish whether there is a conductive or sensorineural hearing loss.
“If conductive is shown then we perform tympanometry, which is readings off the eardrum over a small pressure range. This enables us to show whether it is possibly Eustachian tube dysfunction, fluid behind the eardrum or Otosclerosis.
“These tests support the consultant’s examination and helps to provide a confident diagnosis of the patients problem. If they have surgery on their ears, they are then followed up with another hearing test at the time of their post op consultation.”
Get involved this Healthcare Science Week
Getting involved in healthcare science week is easy and there are many ways you can take part by visiting the NHS website.
You can access over 250 self-pay treatments and services at our hospital and make your health a priority this healthcare science week.
If you’re looking for a new challenge, visit our careers page.
Published on 14 March 2022