We're pleased to share the results from the 2024/25 financial year for the Discharge Optimisation for Planned Surgery (DOPS) project.
This project aims to improve the discharge process for patients undergoing surgery in Victoria. Our goal is to help patients leave hospital sooner, without compromising safety, by making the patient journey smoother and more efficient.
Key results
- Across our partnered health services, a total of 2,524 bed days were saved over the year.
- Many sites are now safely discharging patients from orthopaedic surgeries below the state median.
- The statewide median hospital stay for total knee replacement has dropped from 4 days to 3 days.
What we've done
We worked with 12 Victorian health services - six from our pilot in December 2024 and six more who joined in March 2025 - to improve care across four key surgeries:
- Total hip replacements
- Total knee replacements
- Mastectomies and Hysterectomies.
Many sites have since expanded these improvements to include other orthopaedic and general surgeries.
Key improvements include:
- Enhanced consumer education prior to admission to hospital
- Implementation of the Criteria Led Discharge Toolkit and development of milestones for discharge
- A team-based approach to patient care and discharge planning
- Streamlined processes such as pre-surgery preparation, early movement after surgery, and faster access to tests and medications
- Regular evaluation of the patient experience.
All services meet monthly in an online Action Learning Community to share ideas, discuss best practice, and track progress. We also hold monthly check-ins with each health service to review data and discuss progress.
In March 2025, we hosted an in-person Action Learning Lab with 72 participants from all 12 health services and local networks to collaborate and exchange ideas.
"Nurses report patients are being spoken to before their surgery so when they are on the ward, they know what is expected and are happy to move around early."
- Northern Health
What this means
Reducing variation and shortening hospital stays for planned surgeries benefits both patients and health services:
- Lower risk of hospital-acquired complications
- Shorter wait times for surgery and better access to care
- More efficient use of hospital resource
- Increased volume of planned surgeries
- Better overall patient experience.
Where to next?
While we celebrate the achievements of Tranches 1 and 2, we are preparing to expand the DOPS project further with Tranche 3. Statewide data shows there is still opportunity for improvement in the initial 4 procedures, as well as scope to extend the approach into additional planned and unplanned procedures.
We will focus on partnering with health services where variation remains high, with the aim of onboarding further services in the coming year.
If you’re interested in learning more, please view our project page or contact us at valuebasedhealthcare@safercare.vic.gov.au.
