Led by Professor Sandy Middleton, Adjunct Professor Anna Thornton, Adjunct Professor Elizabeth McInnes and Professor Diana Slade, the Assessment and CommuniCation ExcelLEnce for sAfe paTient outcomEs (ACCELERATE) Trial was conducted between February 2021 and January 2022.

Aim

To evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of a pragmatic organisational ward-level intervention aimed at nurses to facilitate comprehensive systematic assessment and improved communication in clinical handover to reduce medical emergency team calls; unplanned intensive care unit admissions; falls; and pressure injuries. The results from this feasibility study will provide evidence to inform subsequent trial/s design.

Method

A stepped wedge cluster randomised control trial implemented over 12 months with an a priori process evaluation.

Setting

Nine wards in three metropolitan, tertiary referral hospitals across two Australian states participated.

Trial Collaborators

Nursing Research Institute
Professor Sandy Middleton, Adjunct Professor Elizabeth McInnes, Susan Whittam (casual), Jake McMahon, Alysia Coventry, Kelly Coughlan

Australian National University, Institute Communication in Healthcare
Professor Diane Slade, Liza Goncharov, Laura Chien, Dr Maria Dahm

Sydney University
Dr Patrick Kelly, Dr John Rihari-Thomas

New South Wales
Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care: Adjunct Professor Anna Thornton, Joanne Taylor

Prince of Wales Hospital: Karen Tuqiri, Yvonne Steadward, Kim Olesen

Victoria
St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne: Adjunct Professor Jacqui Bilo

Visit the pages below to learn about the ACCELERATE Plus trial in more depth

• Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=380556
• ACCELERATE protocol: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colegn.2022.06.006

Acknowledgement

We would like to acknowledge the valuable contribution of the nursing unit managers, nursing executives, nurses, doctors, and others who assisted with our trial. Without their contribution, this trial would not have been possible.

Contact us

If you would like to get in contact with us, please email: Accelerate.Plus@svha.org.au