Innovation projects2022-11-30T11:30:46+10:00

Innovation projects

Metro North Hospital and Health Service is committed to a culture of innovation.

We recognise that staff, and our health care partners, have great ideas to help improve outcomes for patients, through new processes, resources and partnerships.

In recognition of our need for innovation, MNHHS has made a significant commitment to fund projects jointly created between MNHHS and its partner organisations (LINK), and to fund projects developed by staff within MNHHS (SEED).

LINK funding provides the opportunity to build partnerships and community engagement capability, deliver efficiencies and improve continuity and quality of care for patients.

Metro North Hospital and Health Service is dedicated to forging stronger links with our community partners to deliver connected and integrated patient-centred care, as outlined in the Health Service Strategy 2015-20.

The LINK (Leading Innovation through Networking and Knowledge-sharing) fund was introduced in 2015 and is a commitment that recognises innovation as “ideas successfully applied”. Complex health issues cannot be addressed by the acute hospital and health service acting alone; nor can the best and most efficient care be delivered when silos of activity, resources and expertise operate.

Each of the projects was assessed on the basis of their innovation, collaborative impact and ability to work together to reduce unnecessary hospital admission or re-admissions, improve discharge and admission practices and improve patient-centred connected and integrated care.

The following LINK projects will test how organisations from various sectors working together and across the system can improve continuity of integrated and connected care: the right care, in the right place and at the right time. By focusing resources on collaborative initiatives, LINK will build a partnership culture and a network of partners with the same vision of providing seamless support for patients, consumers, families, carers and communities.

The SEED program is accessible to inspirational and creative staff to find new and improved ways of delivering health services for the benefit of our patients.  SEED funding is only available for Metro North Hospital and Health Service staff.

The SEED (Support, Explore, Excel, Deliver) Innovation Funding Program is accessible to inspirational and creative staff to find new and improved ways of delivering health services for the benefit of our patients. SEED funding is only available for MNHHS staff.

Now in its sixth year, SEED Innovation Funding continues to build a culture of innovation and excellence from the ground-up.

The following SEED projects are trialing innovative ways to deliver quality healthcare. They were selected for their potential impact on reducing unnecessary hospital admission or re-admissions, improving discharge and admission practices and delivering quality patient-centred care.

2022 – 2023

Streamlined Pathway for Acute Heart Failure (SPAHF) (SEED Project)

The project aims to implement a standardised pathway to expedite early diagnostic workup and treatment for patients presenting to ED with suspected acute heart failure to help reduce time spent by the patients in the Emergency department, decrease length of hospital stay, and improve patient outcomes, thus reducing pressure on ED and hospital resources.

Rapid Response - Emergency Departments Avoidance for Dental Presentations (RAMPED) (SEED Project)

The project aims to provide a pathway for timely dental professional advice and support to Metro North Emergency Department staff for dental presentations. This will include trialling a public dental service on weekends with linkages to the emergency departments to reduce the duration of the presentations and streamline access to dental care.

BE-OPEN (LINK Project)

The project will develop a pragmatic, adaptable and accessible suite of training and resources to support ‘BE-OPEN’, a Metro North framework designed to assist clinicians to understand the value of care they provide so that Metro North Hospital and Health Services can deliver high-quality, equitable health care within a finite budget.

Oral Care in ICU (LINK Project)

The project aims to improve oral health awareness amongst Registered Nurses and the quality of oral care at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital (RBWH) Intensive Care Unit (ICU) through enhanced oral hygiene training and development of individualised oral care plans. This initiative will be implemented through a multidisciplinary collaborative partnership between Special Needs Dentistry (SND) team at UQ School of Dentistry and the RBWH ICU department.

Metro North Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Opportunistic Bowel Screening Program (LINK Project)

Establishment of an in-hospital alternative access pathway to bowel screening program for eligible Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people admitted as an inpatient to a MNH facility to help increase participation rates in the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program.

Patient Matched Anatomical Models, Surgical Guides and Jigs (SEED Project)

The project will produce patient-specific anatomical models, surgical guides and jigs for Metro North Health’s Orthopaedics and Urology departments to provide state-of-the-art surgical visualisation, planning, and confidence and help reduce surgery time and revision rates while improving patient outcomes, knowledge, and comfort.

Womens’ and Newborns’ Services, Hospital In The Home (HITH) (SEED project)

Maternity Hospital In The Home (MHITH) will pilot a MHITH model of care for selected sub-acute antenatal inpatients within the Royal Brisbane and  Women’s Hospital (RBWH). NeoHOME would allow for infants at RBWH that fit a defined inclusion criteria to be supported to transition to the home environment where an experienced neonatal nurse would provide neonatal support, education and care to the families at home utilising a combination of face to face and telephone/telehealth consultation.
This model of care is anticipated to enhance the woman’s and family’s experience of care, improve patient flow through a reduction in occupied hospital bed days and hospital avoidance as well as improving system capacity and demonstrating cost efficiencies.

2020 – 2021

Dad’s N Peers LINK Project

The broad aim of the Dads N Peers Link project is to ‘To improve the knowledge, skills, experiences, wellbeing and social connectedness of new fathers by  providing them with inclusive, informative antenatal education, and peer support.

Bowel Prep Coach

Bowel Prep Coach funded by SEED will support patients by phone with encouragement, proactive communication and resolving concerns to reduce some of the risk factors for poor or inadequate bowel preparation. The bowel prep coach will build rapport from the initial OPD consultation and through to the preadmission phase. This proactive management is expected to improve cancellations, optimise activity and improve patient outcomes and their experience.

Thrive - Towards Health and Recovery to Live

A mobile health (mHealth) solution supporting and empowering people with chronic musculoskeletal conditions to self-manage their long-term health goals.  THRIVE will empower users to set and track their health goals, monitor their progress and achievements, and contact the MDT team if they hit a speed bump.   THRIVE will also contain short education modules providing users with information and tools to better understand and manage their condition.  THRIVE is being developed by the OPSC & MDT team at The Prince Charles Hospital in conjunction with Metro North IT, and will set the platform for the development of mHealth solutions for the management of other chronic health conditions in the future.

Changing Perceptions

This project will implement a Virtual Reality experience to assist patients during chemotherapy treatment.  Our aim is to help patients to better tolerate treatment, improve their mental well-being and subsequently increase their chances of survival.

Coordinating Care to Support Termination of Pregnancy

To provide a MNHHS approach to the provision of women-centred services, in a coordinated approach to the Termination of Pregnancy Act 2018 (Qld). The project will trial a nurse navigator role to provide coordination, support and expertise for staff and patients across the journey.

Diabetes Clinical Technologist Position

Trialling the new role of a clinical technologist to map current and emerging clinical devices along with global technologies to design future Diabetes care delivery models that are aligned to workforce and the generational needs of Diabetes Service consumers and their families.

2018 – 2019

From Test to Treatment- Completing the circle

LINK innovation funding
The project is a nurse-led outreach clinic of the MNSHHS. Resulting in a seamless referral from RAPID testing to the nurse clinician, after diagnosis of STIs for treatment and follow-up to improve patient outcomes and reduce STI transmission

Keeping Kidneys Integrated Care for Chronic Kidney Disease (KICk CKD) at Caboolture

LINK innovation funding
KICk CKD is a collaboration between MNHHS, Brisbane North Primary Health Network (PHN) and QUT to redesign the interface of primary and secondary services for people with CKD.

ADIS-LINK: Assertive referral model for streamlined alcohol and other drug treatment

LINK innovation funding
This project proposes an assertive referral process linking ADIS callers seeking alcohol and other drug treatment to appropriate nongovernment services.

The Shared Table - Fostering Eating Disorders Recovery at Home

LINK innovation funding
This project will deliver training regarding meal time strategies, across several mediums, to support carers of patients with eating disorders.

FUTURE ICU: Innovation evidence-based design and technology improving the patient experience by decreasing the cognitive burden of admission to the ICU

LINK innovation funding
The objective of this project is to review the evidence on how the current design and environment of the ICU bed space affects the patient experience and outcomes following a prolonged ICU stay, how it affects their family and relatives, and investigate solutions to modify and improve this.

QUT-RBWH- COH Partnership Program for Diabetes and Chronic Kidney Disease

LINK innovation funding
This project aims to replicate the QUT-RBWH Partnership Program for T2DM implemented at Kelvin Grove (2016).

Emergency Department Polypharmacy Pathway – Community Pharmacy review

SEED innovation funding
Implementation and evaluation of a community pharmacy review for frail elderly patients in the ED who have five or more medications or possible medicate related presentation.

Prehabilitation program in colorectal cancer surgery: by the patients, for the patients

SEED innovation funding
As an initial step towards building a successful high-quality patient-centred prehabilitation service at TPCH, its multidisciplinary team is currently conducting a survey to identify the needs and preferences of colorectal cancer patients. We would then do individual patient interviews to find out what patients believe are the key barriers and enablers to successfully implementing prehabilitation. The findings of this survey, to be completed by March 2019, will be used as preliminary data to inform the design of a prehabilitation intervention. This would subsequently be pilot tested for effectiveness, impact and resources needed before making changes in the cancer care pathway.

Theatre MedicineWISE

SEED innovation funding
Evidence shows that the formal, collaborative implementation of a Clinical Pharmacist into the theatre setting adds clinical expertise, is cost effective and improves the quality use of medicine in this complex environment. It improves communication and assists with recalls and stock retrievals throughout the OT.  It is estimated that for every dollar spent on a Perioperative Pharmacist, at least another $2 of medication expenditure is saved. The published experience of overseas hospitals and of the progressive hospitals in Australia supports this finding.  This project will also assist in assessing compliance with ACSQHC standard 4.10.

Implementation and Evaluation of a Nurse-Allied Health Multidisciplinary Post Bone Marrow Transplant Clinic

SEED innovation funding
This project will plan and implement a multidisciplinary post BMT clinic seeing all allogeneic post-BMT patients 2 weeks after discharge ad 100 days after their transplant.

Eyes on, hands on: improving after hours care for inpatients and residents of Community and Oral Health subacute units and long-term care facilities

SEED innovation funding
A trial of emergency and acute care nurse practitioner role to provide expert assessment and intervention for patients and residents of bedded services in the afterhours space.

Digital Pre-Operative Physiotherapy Education for Cardiac Surgical Patients (Digital POP)

SEED innovation funding
This project will develop a professionally produced video, delivering standardised, detailed and evidence based pre-operative education for cardiac surgical patients at TPCH.

Sharing is Caring

SEED innovation funding
A real-time readily accessible web-based solution and mobile app solution for Metro North staff that will allow publishing of recommendations and lessons learned from incident reviews (SAC 1 and 2) across the HHS.

Just for Mum

SEED innovation funding
This project will develop an IT solution in the form of an app that would be available to all Redcliffe Hospital postnatal women to provide interactive health literacy regarding pelvic floor health and management post-partum.

Supporting vulnerable and at-risks adolescents within the ED environment

SEED innovation funding
This project aims to address a six- stage, multi-prong, inter-agency approach. The project would employ a social worker to; staff engagement, review of literature, establish new model of care, establish referral pathways to QCH, education and implementation of MOC and Referral pathway.

Cognitive Remediation Therapy Translational Skills Program Development Across Metro North Mental Health

SEED innovation funding
This project proposes that the skill acquisition group be implemented across Metro North Mental Health Service within the adult settings for Cognitive Remediation Therapy.

Oral Health Week – High School Transition and Oral Health Care for Year 7 students

SEED innovation funding
Implementation of a trial oral health program for Year 7 students that incorporates oral health screening, referral pathways, preventative treatments, oral health education and establishment of a dental home m- a go to designated clinic. It will occur during high school orientation week at a school with a high enrolment of socially disadvantaged adolescents.

2017 – 2018

Future ICU

LINK innovation funding
Partners: Wilson Architects, Lendlease and Cognuse
Future ICU is a multi-layered project aimed at improving the patient experience and decreasing the cognitive burden of admission to the ICU. Through engaging consumers, staff and external stakeholders, this project will bring innovative evidence-based design and technology to the ICU setting.

Community Links in Caboolture

Partners: Open Minds
The i

nitiative is an enhanced model of integrated care providing alternatives for people who frequently access hospital services either as inpatients or presentations to the emergency department. The program aims to prevent unnecessary presentations, admission or re-admission to hospital and reduce the client’s length of stay within the hospital.

BISCUT (Stroke Portal app)

LINK innovation funding
This initiative will see MNHHS, QUT and the Stroke Foundation collaborate to develop a Stroke Portal app. The app will enable patients to access their health records, an individualised discharge care plan related to their post stroke care, stroke education and self-management tools, and a telehealth portal. While the portal app will share common applications it will also have the capacity to be tailored to the health needs of the individual patient including access to individualised patient health information and Post Discharge Stroke Care Plan.

Safe Spaces

LINK innovation funding
Partners: Aftercare, Richmond Fellowship QLD, Wesley Mission QLD, Encirlcle
To develop and trial Redcliffe and Caboolture community based safe space alternatives for those that experience distress related to their psychosocial needs to reduce presentations to local emergency departments.

Springboard Youth AOD Day Program

LINK innovation funding
Partners: Communify, Lives Lived Well, PCYC
Community based dual diagnosis day program for young people (18-25). The program will be adapted from the Springboard dual diagnosis day program to provide a viable alternative to residential treatment under a harm minimisation and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) framework.

Implementation of a Multi-Disciplinary Team Intensive Care Unit Follow-Up Clinic

SEED innovation funding
This project will develop and trial a new multidisciplinary follow up clinic to review and support patients who have left ICU and are experiencing traumatic stress as a result of their experiences.

Impact of a pre-operative Very Low Calorie weight loss program on unfavourable surgical outcomes in general surgical patients

SEED innovation funding
A feasibility study to trial and demonstrate the impact of nutritional intervention on surgical outcomes.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Psychosis (CBTp) Program Development

SEED innovation funding
This project proposes that clinicians working in adult mental health services should have access to practical training in the implementation of CBTp. Currently “core” skills in CBTp training can be assessed through Queensland Centre for Mental Health Learning online. While this module can assist in providing basic foundations of CBTp, it only educates the learner to be “CBTp informed” and does not teach how to implement CBTp. Furthermore, without ongoing supervision for those using CBTp, clinicians fail to develop the confidence and consolidation of skills that enables them to use this approach in their everyday work with consumers with psychosis. Our aim is to provide access to training that will develop competency in using CBTp and to provide ongoing support in the form of peer supervision groups to allow clinicians to continue to enhance their skills.

Sensory Garden: Adolescent Mental Health Inpatient Unit, RBWH

SEED innovation funding
The development and integration of a sensory garden into the adolescent mental health inpatient unit at RBWH, to provide opportunities for improved cognitive, social, psychological and emotional wellbeing.

Transforming surgical practice in hysterectomy

SEED innovation funding
A trial to implement, evaluate and refine an innovative training and mentoring framework for minimally invasive hysterectomy.

A multi-disciplinary intervention to improve quality of life and patient outcomes in cirrhosis

SEED innovation funding
This initiative will use validated, objective tools in routine clinical assessment to identify patients who could benefit from intervention with dedicated support/therapeutic services (nursing, palliative care, psychiatry, psychology) and assess the benefits of a multi-disciplinary intervention in terms of improved Quality of Life, medical compliance and clinical outcomes.

Pulmonary malignancy patient distress screening project

SEED innovation funding
This project will implement and trial a screening tool to measure distress in patients with lung cancer and evaluate outcomes for improved practice of care with these patients.

Optimisation care of the Dying patient

SEED innovation funding
This project will implement and trial a tool for staff to better assess, manage and monitor common symptoms of a patient who is dying.

Implementation of an Opioid Stewardship Program

SEED innovation funding
A dedicated pharmacist will work with the acute pain service, to improve safety, education and administration and use of opioids in this patient group.

A Pilot Anticoagulation Support Service at Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital

SEED innovation funding
This project will develop, pilot and evaluate a multidisciplinary anticoagulant support service to improve therapeutic anticoagulation from inpatient to discharge.

Breast cancer screening resources for women from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds

SEED innovation funding
Development of breast cancer screening health promotion resources for women CALD backgrounds and newly arrived women in collaboration with women from these target groups.

Endocarditis Database and Biobank

SEED innovation funding
This project will develop and trial a repository for the collection of information and tissue samples to improve treatment of endocarditis.

Primary Care Assessment plus Central Specialist Review: prosthetic aortic valves

SEED innovation funding
Development of a process with GP’s and PHN’s, to increase opportunities for patients with prosthetic aortic valves to be cared for in rural and remote areas with access to clinical service via telehealth. This project will aim to explore a process that can be used by a range of specialties to improve rural and remote health care supported by telehealth.

2015 – 2016

GRACE - GP Rapid Access to Consultative Expertise

LINK innovation funding
A partnership project originating between TPCH and Brisbane North PHN, GRACEwill overcome the need for GPS to refer their patients to hospital clinics for specialist expert advice and consultation. Through a GP direct phone service, GRACE will provide timely advice and support to patients working with their GP in a primary health care setting and reducing unnecessary hospital visits.

Lymphoedema Community Support Network

LINK innovation funding
This project brings together a network of service providers and partner organisations that will improve the accessibility of lymphedema services in the community through building capability in community GPS and aged care services, and extending a model of integrated cancer / lymphoedema service to Redcliffe and Caboolture.

Extended Eligible Private Midwife Practice

LINK innovation funding
The Extended Eligible Private Midwife Practice project will reach areas in Metro North beyond Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital (RBWH) with a focus on providing a community model of continuous midwifery care for, particularly, women who may be at greater social disadvantage and risk. The project is a collaboration of a range of public, private and not-for-profit community groups including the Midwifery and Maternity Provider Organisation Australia, Maternity Choices Australia and the Australian College of Midwives. It will credential select private eligible midwives to take on women in community settings and work towards the development of a system-wide equitable and connected standard of care.

Emergency department (ED) projects

LINK innovation funding
Emergency departments (EDs) face a high number of repeat attendees of persons with complex and high psychosocial needs. Not only is frequent attendance costly to the system but it fails to effectively link these individuals with the range of supports that would improve their resilience, health and wellbeing in the community. Two similar projects will address this issue, trialling different approaches.

ED Frequent Attendee Management

LINK innovation funding
The ED Frequent Attendee Management project is a partnership between TPCH and RBWH and community partners Micah, Footprints, and Brisbane North Primary Health Network to implement a flagging protocol and case conferencing system across social services and EDS with relevant community mental health, social and homelessness services integrated to ensure that frequent attendees are identified and provided coordinated and individualised mental health and social services.

Switching On - Addressing High Psychosocial Needs in Caboolture

LINK innovation funding
The project will establish a partnership network in order to broker a range of services targeting 50 identified children requiring paediatric services and 50 adult frequent attendees with complex and high psychosocial needs. The partnership framework will provide the foundation for continuing collaborative effort and, in particular, will establish shared models of care and referrals paths with the newly-established Caboolture GP Superclinic.

MS Connect

LINK innovation funding
MS Connect will provide a specialist counselling service for newly-diagnosed MS patients attending the RBWH MS Clinic. MS diagnosis can be a time of grief and stress both for the individual and their family. By ensuring a holistic, early interventionist and coordinated “MS Connect” service, this project will support the whole person and enable better self-management that, in turn, will improve quality of life and reduced acute episodes.

Private Public Kidney Partnership

LINK innovation funding
Private Public Kidney Partnership The Community Diabetes Team at North Lakes is forming a private-public partnership with a private endocronologist to manage and expedite services to patients who will receive appropriate and timely care in a primary health setting.

High Risk Foot

LINK innovation funding
The project will develop a network of service providers and health care providers including the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health, the Australian Podiatry Association of Queensland Podiatry and the Brisbane North Primary Health Network to better identify and support people with high-risk feet, improving clinical handover, and referral between public and private practices and ensuring community-based early intervention.

Stoma Community Model of Care

LINK innovation funding
An initiative of Community, Indigenous and Subacute Service and the Queensland Stoma Association, the project will develop an integrated, partnership and community-based model of stoma care.

Kidney supportive care clinic

SEED innovation funding
Integrate palliative care for patients withdrawing from Renal Replacement Therapies (RRT) to ensure appropriate, timely and holistic care.

Avoiding DEM presentations for cancer patients project

SEED innovation funding
Avoid emergency department admissions through working with patients to better understand their perspective on the current model of care and how it could be improved.

Statewide Enteral Feeding Program (Pen Pals)

SEED innovation funding
Provide a patient-centred service, integrating inpatient and outpatient services; home visits; training and education for clinicians across Queensland, including the establishment of a State-wide PEN (Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition) network.

Central Venous Access Devices (CVADs)

SEED innovation funding
At the RBWH will develop a registry and data management system on CVADs for patients diagnosed with cancer so that information can be readily shared, early complications detected and services improved. It is planned to expand this project to other clinical specialties.

Ambulance Retrieval Decision Making Framework

SEED innovation funding
A partnership between Queensland Ambulance Service and the Prince Charles Hospital to develop a process that accounts for and prioritises factors such as patient acuity, distance/traffic, ambulance and ED/hospital resources and capacity in order to inform ambulance destination. The project will improve the care of emergency patients.

Management of long stay patients in acute and rehab beds

SEED innovation funding
Management of long stay patients in acute and rehab beds commencing at the Royal Brisbane Women’s Hospital will design and implement a model of proactive management for long-stay patients in acute and rehabilitation beds.

Multidisciplinary pressure injuries service

SEED innovation funding
Multidisciplinary pressure injuries service at Caboolture will establish a clinical team of wound nurse, dietician and occupational therapists to better support patients through improved prevention and management of pressure injuries.

Brighton aged care mobility

SEED innovation funding
Support mobility and functional independence in older patients cared for at Brighton Health Campus to improve functional recovery, prevent delirium and falls in hospitalised older patients.

Redcliffe Allied Health Assessment Capacity

SEED innovation funding
A nine-month inpatient and outpatient multidisciplinary service to undertake capacity assessments that will provide an alternative, integrated model of care to reduce admissions, occupied bed days, and readmissions.

Motivated Peer Cardiac Support project

SEED innovation funding
Provide a peer-to-peer telephone support model for cardiac patients.

Photographic wound area measurement

SEED innovation funding
Enable accurate measurement of wounds using affordable and efficient photoshop technologies and applications.

Cancer Care Services Web Portal

LINK innovation funding
A joint initiative of the Queensland University of Technology and RBWH Cancer Care Services and Patient Safety and Quality, this project responds to the needs of consumers, families and carers to develop an interactive web portal that supports cancer patients and allows them to share their experiences and learn from others.

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