Even though projects launched through the GSH Innovation Hub only commenced in February 2015, the initiative has already been recognised nationally. The Groote Schuur Hospital (GSH) Innovation Programme, with its accompanying GSH Innovation Hub, has been shortlisted for the 2015 Public Sector Innovation Awards.

The awards are given by the Centre for Public Service Innovation (CPSI)  to celebrate successful initiatives by public services staff to improve service delivery through greater effectiveness, efficiency and accountability. The CPSI is based in the portfolio of the Minister for Public Service and Administration. 

Innovation projects that teams of GSH-UCT staff are working on range from developing a streamlined referral solution; designing a young adult chronic disease clinic;  and  to creating a medication storage device that can also support the education of patients about their chronic medication. 

Established in October 2014, the GSH Innovation Hub is a partnership between GSH Management, the GSH Facilities Board, the Bertha Centre for Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and the UCT Faculty of Health Sciences.  

 

“The goal of the GSH Innovation Programme and Hub is to tap into the creative and intellectual capital of frontline healthcare workers and provide them with the opportunity to develop their own innovations,” says Dr Reno Morar, Deputy Dean for Hospital and Health Services in the Faculty. 

In February 2015, 17 staff teams participated in a live pitching event for funding of  their projects, during which they presented their innovation ideas developed in response to 8 grand challenges at GSH:

1. Using waiting times more efficiently

2. Sustaining a culture of care and dignity

3. Tracking and communication

4. Patient records and notes

5. More efficient entry and exit

6. Improving care for specific patient groups

7. Working better with community services

8. Boosting volunteer resources. 

Following the February pitching event, 8 projects were selected and awarded funding to implement solutions. In May, a further 2 projects were selected to participate in the programme. 

On October 1, 2015, the assessors from the CPSI visited GSH and engaged with some of the project teams: 

Kidney Care Clinic (Grand Challenge: Improve care for specific patient groups)     

Adolescents with kidney failure, on dialysis or awaiting transplant have to make substantial changes to their lives,
at a time when they are already going through a transition period. The Kidney Cares Clinic was developed by Dr Bianca Davidson to redesign the way in which care is provided to adolescent and new adult outpatients by engaging the patients themselves in the clinic design. This process
of co-designing the service with patients will provide a model that can be adapted and adopted by other services that treat adolescent patients. 

The Time Machine (Grand Challenge: Using waiting times more efficiently)

Staff shift patterns are often based on historical patterns, and top down attempts to change these patterns is often met with great resistance. The Time Machine is a tool that allows staff to design their own staffing patterns by letting them see the impact their shifts have on throughput of patients. Already being using in radiology, this project aims to test the concept in other settings across Groote Schuur and to develop a “How-to” guide. This project was developed by Hester Burger, Kobus Botha, and Nanette Bruwer.

 

 

Dare to Care (Grand Challenge: Sustaining a culture of dignity and care)

Staff wellbeing, motivation and engagement are major problems at Groote Schuur Hospital. Developed by Dr Liana Roodt, the project aims to tackle this issue by developing a coaching programme delivered through videos that will work at scale across the hospital. The ultimate aim is to support staff to reach their full potential so that they can deliver high quality care for patients.

The goal of the GSH Innovation Programme and Hub is to tap into the creative and intellectual capital of frontline healthcare workers and provide them with the opportunity to develop their own innovations.

Watch this space for the announcement on the 2015 Public Sector Innovation Awards Awards.