Alfred trauma software to save lives abroad

In 2008, The Alfred became first trauma centre in the world to deploy real time decision-support software as part of routine patient care.  Today, the technology that made this possible is being developed for use in the United States, India, Saudi Arabia and, now, China.

Last month, representatives from The Alfred and Victorian Government visited China to sign an agreement that will see Alfred Health and Corsyn Guangdong Information Technology collaborate to modify and localise the software for use in Chinese hospitals.

The software, known as Trauma Reception and Resuscitation (TRR), uses algorithms to generate real-time prompts that are triggered by patient physiological signs, diagnoses and clinical interventions. 

Software lead, and Director of Trauma Services at The Alfred, Prof Mark Fitzgerald said TRR is about standardising the care trauma patients receive when they first present to hospital.

“During the first 30 minutes of trauma resuscitation, a critical decision is required every 72 seconds,” Mark said.  “Resuscitating a patient is complex, and errors of omission are a reality when you consider most humans can only cognitively cope with three or four things simultaneously.

“What we learn through our trauma program has a profound effect as it propagates and spreads and, for every life that we save here, we can save 10 lives overseas. 

“Our critical care outcomes are first-class, and we’re delighted our tool is set to further improve outcomes for patients in other parts of the world.”