Trauma care program receives funding boost to enhance continuity of care across north Queensland

Trauma care services at Townsville University Hospital (TUH) have been given a boost thanks to a new funding arrangement with the Motor Accident Insurance Commission (MAIC).

MAIC funding has supported the creation of an initiative called Trauma Connect. As a result, the trauma service at TUH will implement three crucial new roles roles: a trauma fellow, trauma clinical nurse consultant (CNC) and a trauma nurse navigator who will divide their time between clinical practice and research.

The three-year arrangement would aim to enhance trauma care across acute, rehabilitation, and post-discharge phases of care and tailor policies and procedures specifically to the north Queensland community.

TUH is the sole major trauma centre for adults and children outside of south-east Queensland, with a high proportion of major trauma cases arriving from inter-hospital transfers.

CNC trauma program manager Anna Grant said Trauma Connect would lay the framework for an integrated network of providers to improve long term follow up for complex and major trauma patients.

“These positions will see further system development which will lead to improvements in longitudinal care coordination for trauma patients across northern Queensland,” Ms Grant said.

“We will be creating and refining the policies and procedures for our complex and major trauma patients, helping support those patients as they reach the end of their acute journey and ensuring the continuity of care after they’re discharged from the hospital.”

Trauma staff specialist Dr Matan Ben David said policy was particularly important given the geographical challenges of north Queensland.

“We currently have no way of knowing whether a patient is following their planned care pathway when they are discharged back into the community,” Dr Ben David said.

“Especially in rural and remote areas, some with limited or seasonal staffing, GPs need to manage these conditions with whatever resources are available to them, which can be very dynamic.

“We really want to create a system of long term follow up support for these patients, which means receiving feedback from the regions of what resources are available in those areas and tracking long-term outcomes.”

Ms Grant said that above all, improved patient outcomes would be the marker of success for the program.

“Through better evaluation of patient focussed outcomes, we will have far greater knowledge of the true burden of injury in our community and the impact of the services provided,” she said.

“At the moment, patients may feel a bit lost in the system, so giving them a single point of contact (through a nurse navigator) who can help find and coordinate their care will help alleviate that anxiety.

“With improved engagement across the region for trauma systems development and education, we can eliminate the potential disconnects in the system and measure them more effectively.”

MAIC Insurance Commissioner Neil Singleton said they were delighted to partner with TUH on Trauma Connect.

“Identifying opportunities to enhance trauma management and rehabilitation has potentially significant benefits for injured people,” he said.

“This in turn helps support the Queensland CTP scheme into the future.

“We look forward to a long-term relationship with TUH and the trauma team and specialists in this important region.”