Grant to fund data innovation for better wound care
Driving wound care innovation will be the focus of a new Bolton Clarke research initiative funded through Aged Care Research and Industry Innovation Australia’s (ARIIA) $2 million 2025 Flagship Project Grants round.
Bolton Clarke is one of eight aged care providers funded under Flagship Project 2, with a focus on empowering data literacy and capability to drive quality care.
The funds will support work to leverage routinely collected data related to wound prevention, identification and care to improve quality of care through co-designed interventions.
Bolton Clarke Research Institute Senior Research Fellow Dr Rajna Ogrin and project co-lead, Senior Clinical Nurse Adviser Kylie Elder, said the 12-month project would expand Bolton Clarke’s focus on improving outcomes for clients with venous leg ulcers, a major source of pain and disability for older Australians.
Venous leg ulcers affect about 1 per cent of Australians and healing rates can be poor. The Australian and New Zealand Society for Vascular Surgery suggests up to 50 per cent of venous ulcers remain present and unhealed for nine months.
Dr Ogrin has previously worked with RMIT to develop new, non-invasive methods for early identification of slow healing wounds in the community care setting using narrow band imaging technology.
"We are delighted to be awarded funding for this Aged Care Collaborative Flagship Project,” she said.
“Leg ulcers are the most common wound type in community care and can seriously impact quality of life for older people. Working with ARIIA experts, this project will develop data capabilities for teams and draw insights from routinely collected data to inform wound prevention, identification and care.
“We also aim to use what we learn to apply in other health areas so we can provide the highest quality care for clients."
Find out more here.
