A groundbreaking new study has begun in Alice Springs Hospital's intensive care unit in the hope of improving clinicians' understanding of critically ill patients and their quality of care, on a national scale. The hospital's ICU facility is the most remote across Australia and New Zealand, making it the perfect pilot site for the study which is set to be rolled out across more hospitals in coming months.
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00:00 A remote hospital ward. The epicentre of a first of its kind study into intensive care
00:07 facilities. Alice Springs a unique setting with local patients disproportionately impacted
00:14 by critical illnesses and poor health. It is arguably the most remote intensive care
00:20 unit in the country. We're 1500 kilometres from the next nearest tertiary centre so we
00:26 have to cope with whatever comes through the door. Patients are to be surveyed about their
00:31 experience and for the first time ever their families and loved ones will also be asked
00:36 to provide insights. All with the goal of improving patient outcomes and making care
00:42 more culturally appropriate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients in particular.
00:48 Things like getting visiting hours more appropriate, improving our waiting rooms, ensuring that
00:55 our communication to family members while their loved one is at death's door is clear
01:03 and appropriate. The Northern Territory Government backing the trial and optimising care every
01:08 step of the way. We'll benefit patients because we'll understand their journey and so it will
01:14 hopefully make their journey more seamless and at what can be a very traumatic time.
01:20 Some of the little things that might be missed can be hugely important to a patient and their
01:24 family. The study has been instigated by the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care
01:28 Society and it's hoped it can eventually be rolled out at the more than 250 ICUs across
01:34 the two countries.
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