Key messages
- Evidence-based research reviews have been developed to support Victorian hospitals and clinicians.
- Improvement through better evidence reviews examines and updates existing surgical practices.
- Improvement through better measures and redesign research reports ensure change is focused on appropriate measures.
- Improvement through better models of care features research on the areas of emergency surgery, day surgery, joint replacement and morbid obesity.
- Improvement through better collaboration focuses on the Victorian Paediatric Orthopaedic Network.
The Department of Health & Human Services has partnered with expert researchers to develop a series of evidence-based research reviews to inform the development of surgical policy and assist Victorian hospitals, clinicians and consumers.
Evidence-based research reviews
- Rapid review: spinal surgery for chronic lower back pain: review of clinical evidence and guidelines June 2014
- Rapid Review: Centralisation of Bariatric Surgery: Policy implications March 2014
- Rapid Review: Knee Arthroscopy for Osteoarthritis: Review of the clinical evidence and guidelines, August 2014
- Rapid Review: Herniorrhaphy for inguinal and femoral hernias: Review of clinical evidence and guidelines, October 2014
- Rapid Review: Tonsillectomy for obstructive sleep apnoea in adults and children, February 2015
- Rapid Review: Alternate investigations to dysmenorrhagia to hysteroscopy dilation and curettage, March 2015
- An enhanced recovery after surgery program for hip and knee replacement, April 2015
- Report to Department of Health - Enhanced recovery after major abdominal surgery
- Brief review: Fast-track surgery and enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) programs, March 2009
Measures and redesign
Operating theatre improvement, a presentation by UK-based healthcare improvement specialist Tom Wainright, assists surgical teams in creating greater efficiency. There are three video, produced with support from the Victorian Department of Health & Human Services and the NSW Agency for Clinical Innovation.
Models of care
Emergency surgery
The availability of timely and high-quality emergency surgery is critical to the functioning of the public health system and is a high priority for the Victorian community.
The Framework for emergency surgery in Victorian public health services contains broad principles that underpin the delivery of safe, high-quality emergency surgical services and identifies a number of key activities that will assist health services to optimise the quality of their services.
Extended Day Surgery
Extended Day Surgery models of care build on the day surgery and day of surgery admission principles that have been developed and refined over the past ten years.
Extended Day Surgery care models recognise that selected procedures that are not otherwise suitable for day surgery can be provided within a 24-hour period in a non-inpatient environment.
Prompt assessment for patients referred for joint replacement surgery
This initiative of the department provides early comprehensive assessment of patients by a physiotherapist and subsequent fast-tracking to surgical assessment as required.
For many patients, provision of conservative management helps them to be in better shape to recover from surgery or prevent the need for a joint replacement altogether. Osteoarthritis hip and knee services have been implemented in 14 Victorian public healthcare services. All services report reductions in time from referral to assessment by an orthopaedic surgeon, with most reporting this time has halved.
Better model of care for morbid obesity
The department, in collaboration with representatives of Victorian health services and expert clinicians, has developed the Surgery for morbid obesity: framework for bariatric surgery in Victoria's public hospitals to guide public healthcare services that provide bariatric surgery programs.
Improvement through better collaboration
Paediatric orthopaedics
TheVictorian Paediatric Orthopaedic Network oversees the development and implementation of a range of initiatives to strengthen the capacity of statewide specialist paediatric orthopaedic services. The network also works to position the system to better respond to complex challenges.
Reviewed 03 October 2023