A digital patient optimisation portal is now live at Princess Alexandra Hospital, helping clinicians better prepare patients for surgery, reduce delays and unnecessary cancellations, and create a smoother journey from referral through to operation.
MyCare Pathway sends patients a health questionnaire when they are initially listed for surgery, enabling clinicians to quickly screen for risks and assess their pre-surgical needs.
Division of Surgery Nurse Manager Liv Bosci said the launch is a significant milestone for surgical services and the Pre Admission Clinic at PA Hospital.
“It provides the opportunity for early collaboration with patients to optimise their health while awaiting surgery, reducing the risk of surgical complications and improving postoperative outcomes,” said Liv.
“Other features of the portal include reminders to patients of preoperative fasting instructions and medication cessation prior to their surgery, and enhanced patient flow to improve wait times in Pre Admission Clinic.”
While MyCare Pathway officially launched on 10 November, Pre Admissions Clinical Nurse Sally Goody said feedback from the trial period was positive.
"The feedback from patients so far has been great, with many appreciating the flexibility of being able to complete the questionnaire in their own time," said Sally.
MyCare Pathway was co-designed with software company Atidia, MSH Digital Health & Informatics, with input from nursing, anaesthetics, pharmacy, administration, and specialty services.
Anaesthetist and Co-Founder of Atidia Health, Dr Daniel Stiglitz said improving patient readiness and reducing operational bottlenecks is just one of the efficiency benefits.
“It brings structure, visibility, and intelligence to surgical pathways - helping hospitals deliver better outcomes with greater efficiency,” Dr Stiglitz said.
For PAC NUM Kelly Gifford and her team, the long-term benefits lie in identifying risk factors early and ensuring patients are appropriately prepared for surgery.
Along with the co-design of the software, there has been significant redesign of clinical workflows to support the implementation of MyCare Pathway.
Liv Bosci gave special acknowledgment to the Pre Admission Clinical administration and nursing teams, who have invested significant time into ensuring every possible patient scenario was explored and the highest quality care continues to be delivered.
Congratulations to everyone involved in this important step forward in improving efficiency and creating a more patient-centred surgical journey at PA Hospital.