Winner: Transforming Patient Experience Award
The Integrated Geriatric Emergency Medicine (iGEM) model addresses high admission rates and long hospital stays for Residential Aged Care Facility (RACF) residents presenting to Blacktown Hospital’s Emergency Department.
The iGEM pilot introduced a 5-bed, consultant-led short stay unit to provide in-depth, multidisciplinary care within 24 hours, so patients could return to their RACF sooner.
In the first 12 months, it helped more than 1,100 aged care residents get back to their homes faster and with the care they need. In the first year, 96.5% of patients were discharged back to their aged care home within 24 hours. The average length of stay for this cohort reduced from 8.1 days to 2.9 days. So far there have been no hospital-acquired complications.
iGEM shows how targeted, collaborative care can transform patient experiences, improve outcomes, and deliver sustainable system-wide benefits.
Meet the other finalists for the Transforming Patient Experience Award.
