Schoolies are ready to soak up the sunshine at Surfers Paradise. Image: Wikimedia Commons
After 3,372 days of stress and studying, it’s time for year twelves to ditch the books and celebrate.
Over 28,000 school leavers will take to the Gold Coast this week for the annual Schoolies Festival. And while so-called ‘toolies’ might be unwelcome guests at this party – there’s a different kind of tool that is.
It’s called the Patient Admission Prediction Tool (PAPT) – and it could make a world of difference to those who party a little too hard.
PAPT allows staff in emergency departments to see what their patient load will be like in the next hour, the rest of the day,the next week or busy periods like Schoolies week.
The technology tells staff how many patients will be coming through the door, what they’ll be suffering from and how serious their condition will be.
Gold Coast Health are using PAPT to plan the staff, medical supplies and beds needed to care for Schoolies. It will also help them manage waiting times for our other patients who are still arriving with other serious injuries.
Gold Coast Health staff are ready to receive Schoolies in their hundreds.
Perhaps not surprisingly, PAPT has predicted that most hospital admissions during Schoolies will be from alcohol intoxication.
We can also expect to see cuts and bruises to the head and feet, sprains to hands, wrists and ankles, asthma attacks, reactions to severe stress, drug poisoning and a few broken thumbs, toes and noses.
So while we have the tools to treat these injuries more efficiently, schoolies are still encouraged to be responsible and look after their mates.
Learn more about our work in health services.
Media: Sarah Klistorner, P: +61 2 9372 4662, M: +61 477 716 031, Sarah.Klistorner@csiro.au
15th November 2013 at 10:10 am
Reblogged this on Harvard Partners Home Health Care and commented:
What a great tool!