News

Albury Wodonga Health is embarking on an ambitious plan to improve the quality of patient care while reducing its carbon footprint. 

The project, known as SQuDs-ED, is a collaboration with Safer Care Victoria, Climate Health Victoria, and the University of Melbourne. 

It aims to reduce the over-use and unnecessary use of low-value diagnostic procedures and interventions and embed environmental sustainability into everyday clinical practices. Importantly, the initiative will also improve quality of care. 

SQuDs-ED stands for Sustainable and Quality Use of Diagnostics in Emergency Departments. 

AWH Clinical Innovation and Improvement Manager Craig Schwartz said that recent evidence suggests that healthcare in Australia is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. 

‘Anyone who has worked in a hospital or been a patient will have seen the volume of waste generated during a patient’s treatment and/or admission,’ he said. 

‘Some elements are essential and unavoidable. But others could be safely reduced or adjusted without compromising the quality of care provided and possibly also reducing risk of complications or adverse events which can improve patient outcomes. And that’s where this project comes in. 

‘SQuDs-ED is an opportunity to address the use of low-value pathology, imaging and interventions which can improve patient outcomes while benefiting the environment,’ he said. 

Unnecessary use and overuse of some diagnostic procedures and interventions can compromise patient safety by increasing the risk of exposure to infection and radiation, and impact patient waiting times and flow through hospitals should a patient be admitted due to such a complication. 

Re-evaluating when and why various diagnostic tests are used can have a number of benefits including: 

• Preventing potential patient harm by reducing the risk of exposure to infection, 

• Minimising exposure to radiation, 

• Improving patient satisfaction and health outcomes by focusing on clinically relevant and evidence-based care, 

• Decreasing the likelihood of complications or adverse events as a result of medical intervention, 

• Reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with supply chains and the use of pathology and imaging equipment and consumables, 

• Reducing waste generated by disposable materials used in testing e.g. syringes and plastic tubes, and 

• Lowering costs for patients and healthcare services. 

Dr Angela Stratton, Staff Specialist in Emergency, said the SQuDs-ED program would adopt a triple-bottom-line approach to improve sustainability, including environmental, financial and social considerations. 

‘By applying the principles of sustainable healthcare to the issue we can generate fresh ideas to bring about meaningful change,’ Dr Stratton said. 

‘This includes empowering patients to play a bigger role in managing their healthcare, streamlining the use of low-value diagnostic procedures which can be wasteful, educating staff about selecting low-carbon options and forming part of a greater community of practice. 

‘A key step in the process will be surveying our patients so we can understand their needs and preferences which can also help to inform the choices we make during their treatment. 

‘The SQuDs-ED project gives us an opportunity to analyse what we do now, test a variety of approaches, measure their effectiveness and implement change for the long term.’ 

AWH has formed a project team to implement the SQuDs-ED program. Safer Care Victoria supports the initiative with workshops, site visits, access to a community of practice, and opportunities to collaborate with other participating health services. 

‘Albury Wodonga Health is focused on both sustainability and continuous improvement, and this project holds significant potential to both improve the quality of care, save money, and reduce the organisation’s carbon footprint. And that benefits everyone,’ Dr Stratton said.