IP dashboard FAQs

Why was the inpatient dashboard developed?

The Inpatient (IP) dashboard assists hospital management, clinicians and staff to monitor and manage the patient flow of inpatient units.

The program was funded by the Commonwealth Government and supports SA Health in meeting the objectives of the COAG Emergency Department and Elective Surgery waiting list reduction plans.

The State Government has also funded measures to streamline Emergency Departments and to reduce the wait for elective surgery.

Why is this information being made available on the internet?

The IP dashboard provides the South Australian community with easy access to up-to-date information about how the State’s public hospitals are performing.

It also helps to remove some of the mystique around how hospitals are run and inform the public about how patient flow is managed in a busy hospital environment.

Do other states in Australia publish this type of information?

South Australia is the first state in the country to make this level of extensive information regularly available to the public.

SA Health already publishes regular updates on a range of hospital data, including elective surgery waiting times and notifiable diseases.

By publishing regular Inpatient flow data for all South Australian metropolitan hospitals and two country hospitals, SA Health is increasing the transparency of its health system and helping to inform the public of the complexities involved in managing a busy hospital environment.

How often is the IP dashboard updated?

The data is refreshed systematically every 30 minutes providing an up-to-date snapshot on the number of patients in the inpatient areas of South Australia’s public hospitals at any given time.

What do hospitals use this information for?

The IP dashboard is just one of many tools that our hospitals use to manage and monitor patient flows. Clinicians and hospital staff were involved in selecting which data should be included in the dashboard. In addition to the dashboard, hospitals also monitor a range of other data to ensure that patient safety is maintained.

Will the IP dashboard stop people from going to their local hospital in an emergency?

Anyone who needs emergency or urgent medical attention should call 000 for assistance as normal.

The dashboard provides people with access to regular information about how individual hospitals are performing to help them understand how patients are managed in a hospital environment.

What happens if the program shows a hospital is at capacity?

Each hospital has processes in place to be able to continue to function safely and effectively during periods of high demand.

What happens if all the hospitals are at capacity at the same time?

Each hospital has processes in place to be able to continue to function safely and effectively during periods of high demand.

During periods of peak demand, most hospitals have the capacity to "flex up" or open additional beds and bring in extra staff to ensure that all patients are cared for properly.

Why are the ‘flex’ beds not always available?

Flex beds are only used when the hospital is experiencing periods of high demand.  Opening flex beds requires additional staffing and resources which hospitals seek to do when normal levels of inpatient activity are exceeded.

Will the new Royal Adelaide Hospital (new RAH) have capacity to flex up?

The design of the new RAH will be flexible and adaptable, enabling the rooms and areas to be used in different ways, as patient requirements change.

Why is there more than one heading for Glenside on the IP dashboard?

The Rural and Remote Inpatient Unit at Glenside is managed by the Country Health SA Local Health Network, therefore the unit is presented separately in the online IP dashboard, in addition to the Glenside Campus.

What is being done to improve SA’s public hospitals?

Services are being built up in every South Australian metropolitan hospital and we are also investing in country hospitals so people can be treated closer to home.

The State Government is also building a network of GP Plus Health Care Centres across South Australia to keep people healthy and out of hospital.

These Centres offer a range of health services and help ease pressure on busy hospital emergency departments by treating non-urgent conditions.

How do SA’s statistics compare to the rest of Australia?

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s MyHospitals website includes comparisons on national public hospital performance statistics for waiting times for elective surgery and Emergency Department care. The MyHospitals website is: http://www.myhospitals.gov.au/

South Australia has the highest number of beds per capita of any State in Australia.

Will other country hospitals be included in the dashboard?

Country Health SA data for the IP dashboard is currently available for Mount Gambier, and Port Augusta Hospitals and the Rural and Remote Inpatient Unit at Glenside.  The next country hospitals to be included in the IP dashboard include Port Lincoln, Whyalla, Port Pirie, Berri and Gawler and data for further country health services is expected to be made available on the website in the future.

Why is the IP dashboard system not displaying the most up-to-date data?

Updates may be less frequent or unavailable due to unforeseen technical reasons or scheduled system maintenance. If an error message is displayed, please try again at another time.

What if the IP dashboard is unavailable?

The IP dashboard may be unavailable due to unforeseen technical reasons or scheduled system maintenance. If an error message is displayed, please try again at another time.

What if I can’t see the IP dashboard?

The IP dashboard system requires a minimum of Flash Player version 9 to view. The latest version of Flash Player can be freely downloaded from the Adobe Flash Player Support Centre

If you are unable to use Flash Player and want a copy of the data in an alternative format, please contact us on communications@health.sa.gov.au.