Get Set for Surgery

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Initiative Type

Model of Care

Status

Deliver

Added

17 July 2018

Last updated

19 June 2019

Summary

The Get Set for Surgery (GSfS) project offers patients the opportunity to reduce their health risks and improve their overall health preparation while waiting for elective surgery through participation in community health partner programs.

Many patients who are listed for surgery are able to contribute to the success of their procedures through small changes to their lifestyle. This program can help to reduce risk factors while improving overall health and wellbeing.

Patients who require the below specific elective surgical procedures are included as part of the GSfS project:

Knee and hip replacements (Orthopaedic Surgery)
Hysterectomies (Gynaecology)
Interventions to address atherosclerotic disease (Vascular Surgery)

The GSfS project is delivered in two stages.

Stage I of II Patient Participation is where collaborative partnerships were established with community partner programs COACH, Get Healthy, and My Health for Life for referrals and triage for patients identified on the elective surgery waitlist to the prevention community programs.

Stage II of II Clinical Outcomes involves evaluating the patient participation outcomes with Griffith University medical students critically analysing the data of patients who have been referred to community partner programs through reviewing patient medical history records. Specially identifying triggers for those patients who have had surgery 30 days post discharge date.

An external evaluation will be conducted by the Healthcare Improvement Unit (HIU) together with a non-systematic review of the international literature conducted by medical students from Griffith University.

The testing and development of a secure digital platform and electronic clinical form that allows patients to share information with GCH commenced in June 2018. The results of the testing phase following consultation with key stakeholders and funding will determine the next phase of the project.

The GSfS project commenced in July 2017 with an anticipated completion date of January 2019. Sustainability of the GSfS program to continue is pending ongoing funding to develop a secure digital platform that will support the automated triaging of patients to community partner programs.

The Get Set for Surgery project won the 2017 Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service Improvers Award.

Key dates

Jul 2017

Jan 2019

Implementation sites

Gold Coast University Hospital, Robina Hospital and Health Service

Partnerships

COACH, My Health for Life, Get Healthy, GP Liaison Unit, Public Health Unit and the departments of Orthopaedic, Gynaecology and Vascular Services.

Aim

Encourage and empower patients to take a lead role in “getting set” for their surgery
Improve the overall psychological and physiological health of patients (pre and/or post-operatively) by providing them with information about, and access to, a wide variety of community resources and support
Integrate and embed the project into routine care in a manner that reduces organisational expenditure and has negligible or no effect on clinical workload
Improve a range of clinical and patient outcomes associated with elective surgery and reduce avoidable complications

Benefits

Patients actively participate in their own care to help identify and address their individual risk factors and increase their health and wellbeing
Awareness of a wide range of resources, support and community programs will increase for high-risk patient populations
The number of surgical procedures that have to be cancelled as a result of modifiable, patient factors will be reduced
The number of avoidable complications during and after elective surgical procedures will be reduced. As a result, the overall lengths of stay will also be reduced.

Background

The project is led by the GP Liaison Unit and Public Health Unit in collaboration with gynaecology, orthopaedic and vascular services departments. Many patients who are listed for surgery are able to contribute to the success of their procedures through small changes to their lifestyle. This program helps patients reduce their risk factors while improving your overall health and wellbeing.

The program provides patients with the opportunity to access community resources and support such as:

expert advice from qualified health professionals about lifestyle changes required to improve health
personalised goal setting with dedicated motivational support to reach health targets
linking in with free and low cost services such as QUIT smoking program and local healthy activities
easy to understand education, information, tools, tips and ideas to make lasting change

For further information, community program partners include COACH, Get Healthy, My Health for Life.

Solutions Implemented

Up to ±500 suitable patients will be identified for GSfS participation for referral to community programs from specialty areas Orthopaedic, Gynaecology and Vascular Services.
Since November 2017 over 400 patients have been referred to community programs COACH, My Health for Life and Get Healthy.
Program referral is based on selection criteria, patient preference and program availability.
Deliverables include development of:
- a range of documents, such as: electronic referral templates; patient information leaflets; practical procedures and guidelines; process maps; and reports
- evaluation of the impact of GSfS on surgical cancellations, complications, length of stay and specific, patient-specific outcomes
- a non-systematic literature review
- proof of concept to develop a secure digital platform that enables patients to complete online clinical forms