Fiona Stanley Hospital

Introduction

Fiona Stanley Hospital (FSH) is one of the newest hospital establishments in Western Australia. In recent years FSH and Fremantle Hospital (FH) have combined to become The Fiona Stanley, Fremantle Hospitals Group (FSFHG). Driven by the national incentive to improve the care of patients with cognitive impairment the FSFHG established a cognitive impairment project in January 2018.

Strategies to make a difference

A range of strategies were implemented across Fiona Stanley and Fremantle Hospitals. They included:

  • Establishing an engaged group of multidisciplinary clinicians known as the FSFHG Cognitive Impairment Reference Group
  • Completing detailed pre-project analysis including staff, consumer and carer surveys, documentation auditing, point prevalence surveys and pharmaceutical provision audits for agitated patients
  • Reviewing and updating existing policies and procedures, comparing them to best practice evidence and aligning them with the current national resources
  • Implementing staff educational programs, including engaging with Curtin University to implement their world class virtual learning environment tool as a pilot project
  • Developing patient and relative empowerment and educational resources to ensure patients and relatives are informed during their hospital admission.

Issues and problems faced 

With FSH being a newer establishment, there were many competing priorities for patient care and safety. Policies that were developed in the commissioning phase had gaps that were unforeseeable until the hospital was open to patients. After combining with FH it has been identified that each hospital has different processes, priorities and approaches to care provision. The difficulties of identifying and responding to cognitive impairment and delirium need to be addressed across multiple specialties. This needs to be completed on a hospital and a specialty group level to ensure that information and education provided is relevant and useful to all staff.

Outcomes

No formal outcome results are currently available as the project is still in its infancy stages.

Tips for others

Gather pre and post intervention data to assist with:

  • evidence of effectiveness of intervention
  • promotion of successful interventions
  • sharing effective program information with other health sites.

Where to from here?

FSFHG plans to progress project resources into intensive care, into the discharge intervention planning for occupational therapy, and to implement a dementia and delirium specific volunteering program to support patients with cognitive impairment.

 

For more information, contact Jane Hopkins on jane.hopkins@health.wa.gov.au.