Princess Alexandra Hospital is trialling a next generation digital platform designed to transform perioperative care pathways through automation, predictive analytics, and seamless coordination.
As a leading tertiary hospital in Queensland with a reputation for excellence in trauma care, organ transplantation and surgical innovation, PAH serves a catchment population of more than 1.6 million and performs some of the highest levels of surgery in the state.
Anaesthetist and Clinical Lead, Preadmission Redesign Group at PA Hospital, Dr Edward Pilling said that as a leader in digital health transformation, PAH has embraced the opportunity to revolutionise the efficiency of workflow in surgery.
“We are in the process of redesigning the patient surgical journey, from referral to operation, to provide a safer and smoother path to surgery for all,” Dr Pilling said.
“In particular, this innovation will allow us to focus our resources where it is most needed, minimise the number of appointments, and maintain active contact with patients throughout the process.”
Dr Juanita Muller, Medical Lead for Division of Surgery, Princess Alexandra Hospital said the Patient Optimiser will allow us to improve the preparation of patients planned for surgery which tends to be one of the key disruptors to efficiency.
“It enables us to use a multidisciplinary approach to patient optimisation, reducing the time patients wait, avoiding unnecessary cancellations and improving patient outcomes.”
She said the nursing team within the Pre-Anaesthesia Clinic are also looking forward to streamlining the triage process as one of the key benefits of improved visibility from the Optimiser.
In partnership with Atidia Health, the Patient Optimizer empowers surgical teams to deliver safer, more efficient care by digitising workflows.
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.
“Perioperative care is one of the most complex and resource-intensive areas in healthcare,” Dr Stiglitz said. “The Patient Optimizer brings structure, visibility, and intelligence to surgical pathways - helping hospitals deliver better outcomes with greater efficiency.”
The Patient Optimizer uses data from existing hospital IT environments with:
- Interoperable Architecture: Connects with Electronic Medical Records, scheduling platforms, and clinical systems.
- Automated Workflow Management: Digitises perioperative processes from pre-admission to post-op recovery.
- Predictive Risk Alerts: Flags patients at risk of delay, cancellation, or complication.
- Patient Engagement Tools: Provides tailored instructions, reminders, and digital check-ins to improve compliance.
- Operational Intelligence Dashboard: Offers real-time insights for surgical leads and executive teams.
Applying the system in the Pre-Admission Clinic environment at PAH, the Division of Surgery team will be measuring the reduction in administrative time which should enable clinicians to work at the top of their scope and focus on higher-value tasks.
The trial is embracing a partnership approach across anaesthetic and surgical departments, hospital leadership, digital health leaders and Atidia Health.