Q&A with Dr Rosemary Wyber

Improving shared communication about the stage and severity of rheumatic heart disease

What are you currently researching?

My research focuses on reducing the impact of RHD through prevention and management of the disease. RHD is caused by an abnormal reaction to Strep A infections in the throat or skin. The Strep A germ often spreads in conditions where housing and washing facilities are inadequate. As a result of colonisation, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are the most exposed to these risks and live with the greatest burden of RHD in Australia.

Management of RHD involves long-term, regular antibiotic injections. Providing these injections and other care requires really good communication and well-organised health systems to ensure proper delivery of care. My research focuses on improving how people living with RHD and their health care team can have a shared understanding of the disease.

What difference will your research make to people’s heart health in Australia?

My work focuses on supporting people living with RHD and their healthcare teams. The work will help achieve a shared understanding of the disease and its management, which is crucial for providing safe and effective care. Developing and using tools that promote shared understanding and decision making will help people living with RHD to be more actively involved in their own care, leading to better health outcomes.

What motivated you to do your research?

RHD was once a common heart disease for young people across Australia, but improvements in housing and living conditions have reduced Strep A infections and RHD among non-Indigenous people over the last 50 years. This reduction in disease has not occurred for many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, particularly in remote communities. I am committed to reducing the inequity of RHD and improving outcomes for people living with RHD.

What difference does your Heart Foundation funding make to you, your research and your future in research?

The Heart Foundation has been a leading supporter of action to address RHD in Australia. This commitment includes advocacy and engagement activities. In partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and peak bodies, the Heart Foundation is a key contributor to ending this preventable disease. Support for the research community helps to ensure that approaches to RHD are informed by the best possible science and evidence.

Do you have a personal message about your research that you would like to pass onto the Heart Foundation donors and supporters?

The Heart Foundation is a key partner in national initiatives to end RHD. Through its support in research and advocacy, the Heart Foundation facilitates connection among individuals and organisations in this field, achieving real impact in the fight against this disease.