The Dignity Project: Disability-led innovation to improve the patient journey

About the Project

Updated January 2023

About

Extensive efforts have been made to improve the patient journey, but patients with disability continue to be poorly served by our health system. To change this situation, we need to think from a different perspective and seek solutions that might not otherwise have been identified. The Dignity Project is a web platform developed to uncover the voice and knowledge of people with disability. Patient voice is harnessed through a disability-led co-design process that will identify priority challenges at each point of the typical patient journey. The Dignity Project brings together a team of health professionals/planners, researchers and patients to co-design implementable and sustainable solutions to enhance patient satisfaction and, ultimately, improve the health and wellbeing of people with disability.

Aim and objective

Using our proven digital platform that has been co-designed with people with disability, we will co-produce new knowledge that can address the healthcare dissatisfaction experienced by people with disability. Specifically, we aim to:

• Increase the capacity of people with disability (particularly those with cognitive impairment) to engage with MSH to design improved patient journeys;

• Clarify the complex challenges that contribute to dissatisfaction for people with disability during admission, inpatient stay and discharge from Metro South Health facilities;

• Identify the factors that contribute to complications for people with disability during this patient journey, and;

• Co-design acceptable, cost-effective and implementable solutions that will deliver value to stakeholders and address the challenges.

Expected outcomes

Effective engagement of, and co-design with, people who have lived experience of disability can uncover new knowledge and support the implementation of existing knowledge by informing rapid and sustainable solutions.

Expected impact/ goal

These solutions will ultimately improve the hospital experience of people with disability (particularly those with cognitive impairment) and reduce the likelihood of complications from admission to discharge.

People/organisations involved

Dr Delena Amsters, Metro South Health

Ms Kelsey Chapman, Griffith University

Mr Troy Hakala, Metro South Health

Dr Maretta Mann, Griffith University

Prof. Tim Geraghty, Metro South Health

Prof. Elizabeth Kendall, Griffith University

Ms Debbie Cowan, Metro South Health

A/Prof. Geraldine Torrisi-Steele, Griffith University

Partner organisations – QDN, Synapse, NDS.

Project status and timeframe

The project commences in February 2023 and is scheduled to conclude in February 2025.