JTI Newsletter – April 2026

Contents

Welcome

February and March have been two wonderful months of joining together across the Jamieson Trauma Institute network to achieve important milestones, and showcase collaborations and initiatives at the heart of our work to improve traumatic injury care and outcomes.

It has also been an exceptionally busy period, with significant events and program launches already shaping the year ahead.

Event Wrap-Up: Bone, Joint and Spine Infection Symposium

The Bone, Joint and Spine Infection Symposium featured an outstanding program led by international experts in infection management. The symposium brought together global leaders in orthopaedic, spinal and infection management for two days of focussed discussion and knowledge sharing.

Read the full story here. 

Bone, Joint and Spine Infection Symposium, 26-27 February 2026

Event Wrap-Up: JTI Showcase Event “Keep the Focus – Navigating Complexity”

JTI’s annual Showcase is an event we all look forward to delivering for our trauma care community. This year’s program highlighted the growing complexity of trauma care and focussed on new initiatives delivering excellence in some of healthcare’s most complex environments.

Speakers showcased JTI’s achievements over the past year, highlighting the value of collaboration and digital innovation, including the launch of InjurIQ, a new linked data platform illustrating the significant burden of injury on Queensland’s health system. Powerful lived‑experience stories reinforced the emotional, social and long‑term challenges of trauma recovery and the importance of coordinated care supported by appropriate technology. Clinicians outlined the complexities of the trauma journey – from infection management and mental health needs to the intensive demands of rehabilitation – and introduced the Major Injury Survivors and Support Community (MISC+) to strengthen peer‑supported recovery. The event also celebrated the release of a global major‑injury outcome measurement set and concluded with the Cliff Pollard Award being presented to Dr Akmez Latona, underscoring the shared commitment to advancing trauma care.

If you missed the event, you can watch a recording here: JTI Annual Showcase: Keep the Focus – Navigating Complexity | Jamieson Trauma Institute

Feature: Supporting Mental Health in Recovery from Traumatic Injury

Trauma recovery extends well beyond the physical. JTI continues to champion support for patients navigating the psychological impacts of injury and is involved in several new patient-centred initiatives providing enhanced psychosocial follow-up and support for trauma patients. These include the Trauma Outcome Follow-Up program, Psychosocial Recovery After Injury Service, and the Major Injury Survivor and Support Community.

Program Spotlight: TOFU – Trauma Outcome Follow-Up

JTI and the RBWH Trauma Service have officially launched the Trauma Outcome Follow-Up (TOFU) initiative. This trauma care quality improvement program provides structured follow-up for all trauma patients admitted to RBWH and living in Queensland.

Following discharge from acute care, trauma patients will be sent validated health surveys over a 12-month period to identify any physical and psychological concerns which may require further clinical support during their recovery.

Key components:

• Patients receive health and wellbeing messaging and trauma recovery education resources
• Patients receive electronic self-report check-ins at 3, 6 and 12-months post‑injury
• Patients meeting threshold survey scores trigger alerts for clinical outreach and support

Key benefits:

• Introduces new longitudinal psychosocial and clinical follow-up of RBWH trauma patients
• Enables early identification of mental health and physical needs
• Provides clinical support for patients’ identified needs

Program Spotlight: PRAISE – Psychosocial Recovery After Injury Service

The PRAISE initiative seeks to provide a clear pathway for traumatic injury survivors to access psychological support when it is needed. Its aim is early identification, connection, and continuity of mental health care.

PRAISE involves both inpatient and outpatient engagement: building rapport and observing recovery during hospitalisation, followed by psychological follow-up three months post-discharge. Outpatient care includes psychoeducation, diagnosis, initial treatment, and referral guidance with communication to the patient’s GP.

Highlights:

• Inpatient rapport-building and recovery monitoring
• Outpatient follow‑up including assessment and communication with GPs
• Future expansion includes a new psychiatrist role and feasibility trial

Key benefits:

• Early identification of mental health needs which may otherwise go unaddressed
• Holistic, patient‑centred recovery support
• Improved continuity of care and communication with patients’ GP

Program Spotlight: Major Injury Survivor and Supporter Community (MISC+)

JTI is proud to support the establishment of Major Injury Survivor and Supporter Community (MISC+), the RBWH’s inaugural peer support network for traumatic injury survivors and their families and caregivers. With funding from the RWBH Foundation and Queensland’s Motor Accident Insurance Commission (MAIC), MISC+ addresses a gap in psychosocial and family support for trauma injury survivors.

Key highlights:

• Piloting a scalable model for a Trauma Survivor Peer-led Support Network
• Consumer-driven innovation in collaboration with psychology, rehabilitation and trauma clinicians
• Establishing strong consumer leadership to ensure sustainability

Key benefits:

• Embedding structured peer support into routine trauma service care
• Providing recovery education and skills for trauma survivors and their families
• Expanding opportunities for regional and rural participation by providing online options for engaging with peer support

Celebrating RBWH Trauma Verification Success!

Dr Carl Lisec and Prof Dieter Weber at the RBWH Trauma Verification Closing Session and Report on 13 March

In March, the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital underwent the RACS Trauma Verification, assessing the capability and performance of trauma services across the spectrum of trauma patients’ recovery. In a fantastic achievement, early review feedback indicates RBWH has met the criteria for a Provisional Level 1 Trauma Service – the highest level of trauma care capability.

JTI proudly supported the RBWH Trauma Service in the verification assessment, meeting with reviewers and providing information and examples of the collaboration that is central to many of our projects that deliver patient-centred improvements to care after traumatic injury.

Our heartfelt congratulations to our colleagues at the RBWH Trauma Service for their outstanding leadership and commitment to delivering and advancing quality trauma care. It is an important milestone and a proud moment for the entire trauma care community.

News Flash! JTI’s Empower program in the news

JTI’s Empower Legacy Project is powering along, and its benefits are attracting media attention along the way. The ABC News recently shared a story about the Empower project and featured co-designer Sara-Ashlee Tait’s story of world-class achievement in para-sports.

Developed in collaboration with Queenslanders with Disability Network (QDN), Empower is the first of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic & Paralympic initiatives supporting the Queensland Government’s target to engage an additional 110,000 people with disability in sport and active recreation by 2032. The project is working towards the identification and removal of barriers to participation in sport for people with disability.

Follow this link to read the full ABC News Story.

The Empower Legacy Project is proudly supported by the Queensland Government.

JTI research informs the Queensland Parliament Committee report on e-mobility safety and use in Queensland

Following last year’s parliamentary inquiry, and the recent hearing where members of JTI and Queensland Injury Surveillance Unit (QISU) were invited to participate (Prof Kirsten Vallmuur, Dr Ruth Barker, Dr Gary Mitchell), a Committee report has been released with recommendations to improve safety for e-mobility users and pedestrians.

The recommendations include improved data collection, with JTI and QISU continuing to deliver more comprehensive data to inform regulatory reforms.

You can read the story here. You can also learn more about the report.