In the small township of Bairnsdale, Dr. Chandana Wijeweera, a rural generalist trainee, working in the ED, recalls the peak of winter viral misery – “It was one healthcare worker calling in sick after the next, we were so stretched for staff that often, by the time we got around to a patient, they had left the waiting room without being seen, often with serious presenting complaints.”
Health workforce shortages are one of the largest challenges to ensuring equitable care for rural Australian populations. In smaller towns, even a handful of staff absences can stretch already thin services to breaking point.
In these settings, local outbreaks of hospital-acquired infections (HAI) can essentially close doors, depriving rural populations of life-saving care. The simple act of putting on and taking off personal protective equipment (PPE) is often the difference between frontline workers staying safe or being exposed. Yet, despite this, many staff are not competent in correct PPE use, with little chance to practise or receive feedback. Particularly in rural hospitals with a stretched workforce, there is rarely time for colleagues to check each other’s technique.
That’s where a new training platform, developed by Surgical XR and trialled by a team from Macquarie University, is making a difference. Using artificial intelligence (AI) and a simple laptop camera, the SXR AI-PPE® platform watches as staff put on and remove their PPE. In real time, it gently points out errors—whether it’s a missed step with gloves or an incorrect mask adjustment—and then guides the user to correct it.
Professor Micheal Wilson, who co-developed the platform believes it has the potential to standardise PPE protocols nationally, a sentiment echoed by Dr John Kopsidas, an international expert in infection control who advised on the project, “It’s about building habits. If we can make correct PPE use second nature, we protect not just staff, but patients and communities as well.”
The initial trial involved nearly 300 health care workers. After only two guided sessions with the AI-PPE platform, every participant was able to put on and remove PPE with a 100% compliance rate. Moreover, although skills were retained there was a need for revision and upskilling, easily achievable with the AI real-time feedback platform.
Professor Veronica Preda, who oversaw the study, said the results highlight a gap in current training, “We rely on a buddy system, but in reality, staff don’t always have the time or headspace to play that role—especially during outbreaks when everyone is stretched. This tool gives workers the confidence that they’re protected, without adding to the workload.”
After completing a recent hospital in the home (HITH) rotation in Warragul, Dr. Chandana, along with the rest of the team is now keen to explore further applications in the HITH setting – “many of the patients we see in the community have contact/ droplet precautions in place with no standardized method of keeping ensuring compliance from our staff who are essential to this service. Since you can run the AI-PPE protocol anywhere with a laptop and internet connection. This makes it an attractive tool for the community setting.”
The team now hopes to rapidly expand the program into rural and remote centres, where they are also working with other projects to improve remote teaching and education and the impact could be greatest. By reducing the risk of infection among staff, the platform helps keep health workers on the job. For rural Australians, where every doctor, nurse, and allied health worker is vital, innovations like this are more than just clever technology—they are a lifeline.
Link to original study:
Preda V, Ong Z, Wijeweera C, Carney T, Clay-Williams R, Kankanamge D, Preda T, Kopsidas I, Wilson MK. Artificial intelligence (AI) use for personal protective equipment training, remediation and education in healthcare, American Journal of Infection Control, 2025
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajic.2025.03.020.
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