On Tuesday 9 November at the annual GMRF Research Awards Night, the recipients of GMRF’s Innovation Grants were announced. The Innovation Grants aim to provide an immediate and meaningful difference that contribute to practical advances at Greenslopes Private Hospital operations and patient outcomes.
This year, GMRF received a record-breaking amount of applications for the short-term research grants. After a rigorous review and application process the Research Panel, made up of leading research specialists, selected three winners.
Winner
Patient tracking – using text notifications to provide real time updates to families and loved ones about patient movements
Grant Recipients: Marcel Scherzer and Terry McLaren
Uncertainty about a patient’s wellbeing during hospitalisation is a likely cause of anxiety for concerned relatives. Anxious relatives calling perioperative departments seeking a brief update of their loved one’s whereabouts can divert nursing resources away from vital patient care.
A possible solution is to trial a system that informs relatives in real-time about a patient’s movement within the periop areas i.e. pre-op assessment, preparation and procedure area, recovery and discharge area via SMS.
Winner
Prevalence of malnutrition in acute medical patients at Greenslopes Private Hospital and compliance with the malnutrition screening tool
Grant Recipients: Melinda Roxburgh, Lauren Blake, Lisa Nel
This research project aims to establish the prevalence of malnutrition in some patients at GPH within identified clinical areas, improve compliance to ensure early identification of patients at risk of malnutrition, and identify the correlation between patients’ nutritional status and pressure area prevalence in the GPH hospital population. This research will result in improved nutritional care for patients in the hospital by identifying gaps in referrals to dietetics.
Winner
Pilot Feasibility Trial – Tungsten weight in an ergonomic 3D printed case for augmented manual compression of femoral arterial access site following transcatheter coronary angiography and angioplasty
Grant Recipient: Dr Ryan Markham
This research project investigates a way to augment manual compression after diagnostic coronary and angioplasty procedures to improve vascular access site outcomes, minimize patient pain, and reduce staff fatigue including musculoskeletal injury.
The winners have one year to complete their research projects and will present their findings at the 2022 GMRF Research Awards Night.
Read about the past Innovation Grant Winners