The winner of the $15,000 Wishlist and Sunshine Toyota innovation grant will use the money to start a program to prevent common respiratory complications post elective surgery.
Dr Naomi Piyaratna was one of nine innovators who pitched their ideas to health staff at the Inspo Expo at SCHI on Wednesday, 29 October.
She pitched Breathe Better – a digital resource to educate patients about what they can do to reduce the chance of post-surgery breathing complications.
Working as an anaesthetics fellow, Dr Piyaratna has seen many patients with common complications such as pneumonia, hypoxemia and unplanned ICU stays post op.
It’s a serious problem in hospitals with one in 25 surgery patients experiencing these post-op problems in 2024.
Dr Piyaratna said Breathe Better is a digital tool which educates patients about what to do to reduce the risks.
“Patients can access digital education remotely, higher risk patients can join telehealth sessions or receive in-person physiotherapy, Dr Piyaratna said.
“This pilot delivers value at every level, improving outcomes, saving costs, and it's in reach to our rural and remote patients.
“This collaborative model fills a statewide gap and is designed for replication across Queensland.”
Dr Piyaratna was grateful to secure the grant, which will fund a project officer to design the program.
“With seed funding, we can get Breathe Better off the ground, a high impact pilot that aims to get our increasingly vulnerable patient population primed for surgery,” she said.
Other pitches included improving access to respiratory rehab, using the MolecuLight to enhance wound care, and trialling an external catheter for women to reduce hospital-acquired UTIs.
A special thanks to Sunshine Toyota for sponsoring the grant money at this year’s Inspo Expo.
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