Background:
Cancer patients in regional and rural South Australia, spanning a vast area of 982,665 km², experience disparities in care compared to metropolitan patients. Feedback from Safety Learning System (SLS) reports and Local Health Network (LHN) forums highlighted critical communication gaps with treating cancer teams during emergency department (ED) presentations, raising patient safety concerns and increasing the risk of adverse outcomes due to delayed oncology input.
Objective:
This study aimed to evaluate a novel digital communication tool designed to improve timely interdisciplinary coordination among regional cancer care teams during ED presentations across South Australian hospitals over a three-month trial period.
Methods:
A partnership between Rural Support Service (RSS) Cancer Services and Digital Health identified limitations in existing electronic medical records (EMR) and communication workflows. In response, RSS Cancer Services developed an application that triggers push notifications to treating cancer teams upon an ED presentation flagged by a patient’s Medical Record Number (MRN). The app was piloted across three regional cancer units, initially directing alerts via the RSS team.
Results:
Clinician feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with a near elimination of safety incidents related to delayed oncology involvement documented in the SLS. During the trial, the regional cancer teams were issued 110 notifications of patients presenting to an acute emergency department across the state.
Discussion:
Following successful evaluation, the app was implemented across regional South Australia, directly notifying clinicians. It currently generates 3-4 daily alerts for regional cancer patient ED presentations across South Australia, with over 1000 notifications sent since rollout. Leveraging the statewide EMR infrastructure, this innovation enhances clinical handover, mitigates risks associated with delayed cancer service engagement, and strengthens care coordination. Future expansion to additional specialties is being considered. This initiative exemplifies the effective use of digital health solutions to improve patient safety in emergency care settings for regional populations.