Improving surgical outcomes for patients in rural and remote Queensland

Thursday, August 1, 2019

The Statewide Anaesthesia and Perioperative Care Clinical Network’s (SWAPNet) Rural Perioperative Team Training Program (RPTTP)—sponsored by Clinical Excellence Queensland—aims to improve surgical outcomes for patients in crisis situations by promoting teamwork, communication and system design. It is primarily designed for Clinical Service Capability Framework level 3 rural facilities, and now includes Bundaberg, Gladstone and Mt Isa hospitals.

The two-day program:

  • sees the transportation and setting up of a ‘lifelike’ manikin in an operating theatre
  • runs three crisis scenarios per day.

Audio visual equipment live streams the activity from the operating theatre to let participants engage in the debriefing sessions. These sessions promote interaction, communication and the identification of opportunities for improvement.

Gladstone Hospital recently hosted the program on 29 and 30 July 2019. It was well attended by surgeons, obstetricians, anaesthetists, rural generalists, perioperative nurses, midwives and the theatre wardsperson.

RPTTP will be delivered at 17 sites, involving 22 facilities, this year and Gladstone Hospital was the ninth delivery site. Warwick/Stanthorpe/ Dalby and Roma/St George and Charleville are scheduled for August/September, with Thursday Island, Cooktown and Mt Isa to follow in October.

The RPTTP faculty includes surgeons, anaesthetists, GP rural generalists, perioperative nurse educators and a midwifery educator who volunteer their time to deliver training.

Visit the Improvement exchange for more information.

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Last updated: 27 August 2019