Research improving patient safety across the surgical journey wins consumer award
Perioperative medicine is the care patients receive before, during, and after surgery. Its purpose is to make sure people are as healthy as possible going into surgery, reduce the chances of complications, and support a smooth recovery.
An abstract submitted by Alfred Health's Dr Sophie Wallace, and co-authored by Tracey Bucknall, Andrew Forbes, and Paul Myles, about their mixed-methods study to identify Australia’s top 10 research priorities for perioperative medicine has been recognised as the joint winner of the Alfred Research Alliance’s first Consumer Involvement in Research Excellence Award.
The judges, which included consumers and advocates, chose Dr Wallace’s abstract as the joint winner for the following reasons:
"This national study showcases how large-scale consumer engagement can drive impactful change in health research and practice. Using the James Lind Alliance methodology, it brought together patients, carers, clinicians, and researchers to identify Australia’s top perioperative research priorities, ensuring lived experiences shaped the national agenda. With consumer feedback embedded from the earliest surveys to the final consensus workshop, the study delivers a powerful, system-level impact by creating a clear, patient-informed roadmap to improve surgical outcomes and the quality of care across Australia.”
Congratulations to Dr Wallace and the team.
Dr Wallace receiving her award from consumer keynote Ainslie Cahill.