Study to cut waits

Joint surgery on move

HIP and knee replacement patients may be separated into complex and non-complex cases who can be treated in different hospitals to drive down surgery waiting lists.

A new project across three of Victoria’s biggest public health services is aiming to identify which patients are at the greatest risk of complications and likely to need the services of tertiary hospitals.

The move would free up less specialised secondary hospitals to safely undertake less risky hip and knee replacements to reduce waiting lists.

With most patients able to return home days after a noncomplex replacement, lead researcher Philip Peyton, from Austin Health, said predicting those likely to have complications could make an impact on resources. “The results would be certainly useful for the broad range of health services, not just in Victoria,” Professor Peyton said.

“Patients in the public system are waiting months and months, and putting up with a lot of pain and disability.

“The problem is, where do you draw the line in terms of the likelihood that those patients will need more intense post-operative monitoring and management?”

Studying the outcomes of 4000 patients to have had hip and knee replacements at the Austin, Northern and Western health services over the past seven years, the researchers hope to find the key factors that can lead to unplanned intensive care unit admission.

Only 1-2 per cent of the patients require intensive care, but the impact can divert resources in small hospitals. By placing a score on factors such as age, weight, health issues and variables, the researchers hope to have clear guidelines on which patients require a major or secondary hospital.

Backed by the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists Research Foundation and Medibank, the study will start early next year.