Adelaide Health Foundation announce funding for Innovation at TUH

Adelaide Health Foundation announce funding for Innovation at TUH

The Adelaide Health Foundation (AHF) working in partnership with Innovate Health at Tallaght University Hospital (TUH) have announced funding of €60,000 for their long running New Initiatives Scheme at TUH.

The annual scheme is very popular with staff, with a record number of applications received at the end of 2022. An increased budget was approved with 10 projects securing New Initiatives funding a cross section of clinical areas and services.

Welcoming the funding, the Head of Innovation at TUH Dr. Natalie Cole said, “I would like to take this opportunity to thank the AHF for their very generous and much appreciated financial support. These important new projects will further empower the Hospital to create the conditions where we can become even more efficient at introducing healthcare innovations and improvements.”

Adelaide Health Foundation Chief Executive Niamh Gavin said that, “To date our New Initiatives Scheme at TUH has been extremely successful and we were delighted with the quality and breadth of applications in this round. We are confident that all of these projects which have just received funding, will benefit patients very quickly. We look forward to collaborating with Natalie and her team on the 2023 scheme.

The ten projects to receive funding are:

Virtual Reality for Emergency Department education
This project will use the latest Oxford Medical Simulation software and virtual reality headsets to train emergency doctors, who work in high-stress environments which require rapid information processing and time critical decision making. This virtual reality training will help doctors rehearse how they might handle a serious medical emergency, so they are even better prepared to provide care for a critically ill patient in the resuscitation room.

Helping families of patients understand ICU
This project will see the creation of an accessible jargon free infographic (a special poster with graphics) in the waiting area of the new ICU, to help families familiarise themselves with the ICU equipment being used at a loved one’s bedside. This special infographic will demystify the very clinical and often daunting ICU environment.

The purchase of two new stimulation devices to help patients with difficulties swallowing
Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation or NMES uses a device that sends electrical impulses to nerves. This causes muscles to contract, which increases strength and range of motion and helps patients with swallowing difficulties. The project will see the purchase of two new NMES devices and special training for staff in how to use them.

A study to improve treatment for patients with COPD
This project aims to better characterise each patient with a diagnosis of COPD (a condition which causes breathing difficulties) who have experienced repeated episodes. The project will characterise COPD patients using FeNO (a test which determines lung inflammation) in order to individualise their treatment as well as investigating better ways to manage this lifelong condition.

The purchase of a new bedside ultrasound for the lungs
Bedside (point of care) ultrasounds have become an invaluable tool for physiotherapists treating critically ill patients. The purchase of this new piece of equipment will enable our physiotherapists to provide a rapid diagnosis and implement the best chest physiotherapy treatments for patients.

A special video to help patients deal with the psychological consequences of Long COVID
This project aims to create resources for patients experiencing Long COVID using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to develop skills to improve their quality of life despite adversity. A special presentation with leading experts in the field will be filmed and later shared online. This video will explain some of the psychological treatments to help those with Long COVID.

The introduction of skylights in the Post Anaesthesia Care Unit (PACU)
Some of the bed spaces in the PACU unit currently have no natural light, making orientation to time difficult for patients coming out of surgery. This project will install a ‘virtual skylight’ to aid day/night differentiation reducing the risk of patients developing delirium.

Respiratory muscle training in Critical Care
Respiratory muscle training helps patients struggling with muscle weakness which has occurred as a result of being ventilated, as part of a critical illness. This project will fund the development of a comprehensive respiratory muscle training programme, within critical care at TUH.

Development of an acute respiratory hub in the Emergency Department
This project will fund the development of a new Respiratory Hub within the Emergency Department. This area will consist of patients who have presented with acute breathing difficulties. These patients will be placed in a dedicated area where they will be treated with special air nebulisation.

A new study to help improve treatment for stroke patients
Patients post a Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) and Stroke are commonly prescribed anti-platelet medication but without good clinical measures to assess the effectiveness of these treatments. This project will study this and hopefully lead to enhanced risk-stratification and secondary prevention measures for TIA and Stroke patients.