Clinical Associate Professor Natalie Smith Smith

Modern day anaesthesia is extremely effective and safe. Optimising the health of patients before and after surgery – otherwise known as perioperative medicine – is an area full of opportunity to improve patient outcomes.  Natalie ‘s research focuses on several areas of the assessment and optimisation of preoperative health, especially in patients who are elderly or have obesity.

Publications

• Smith NA, Martin G, Marginson B. Preoperative assessment and prehabilitation in patients with obesity undergoing non-bariatric surgery: a systematic review. Journal Clinical Anaesthesia 2022: accepted and in press
• Smith NA, Batterham M, Shulman MA. Predicting recovery and disability after surgery in patients with severe obesity: The role of the six-minute walk test. Anaesthesia and Intensive Care 2022: 50(3); 159-68. DOI https://doi-org.ezproxy.anzca.edu.au/10.1177/0310057X20981969 
• Hitige NPR, Song T, Houston L, Smith NA, Probst Y, Bliokas V,Yu P. “A 6P framework for engaging consumers in focus group discussions to identify needs, experiences, and expectations with digital health solutions” JMIR Formative Research / JMIR Preprints 2022. DOI http://doi.org/10.2196/preprints.36719 / http://preprints.jmir.org/preprint/36719
• Smith NA, Hodsdon A, Story DA. How can anaesthetists talk to patients with obesity? Australasian Anaesthesia (The Blue Book) 2021 p247-251
• Song T, Yu P, Bliokas V, Probst Y, Peoples GE, Qian S, Houston L, Perez P, Amirghasemi M, Cui T, Rathnayaka Hitige NP, Smith NA. (2021) Clinician-led, experience-based co-design approach for developing mobile health services to support patient self-management of chronic conditions: Development and a design case. JMIR mHealth and uHealth. 17/05/2021:20650
• Kulinski K, Smith NA. Surgical prehabilitation using mobile health coaching in patients with obesity: A pilot study. Anaesthesia and Intensive Care 2020: 48(5); 373-80 Joint winner 2020 Jeanette Thirlwell Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Best Paper Award
• Hodsdon A, Smith NA, Story DA. Preoperative communication between anaesthetists and patients with obesity regarding perioperative risks and weight management: a structured narrative review. Perioperative Medicine 2020; 9:24
• Smith NA, Batterham M, Peoples GE, Shulman MA. The clinical, functional and disability characteristics of patients with severe obesity presenting for non-bariatric surgery. Anaesthesia and Intensive Care 2019: Vol. 47(6); 522–531
• Freckelton L, Lambert K, Smith NA, Westley-Wise V, Lago L, Mullan J. Impact of body mass index on utilization of selected hospital resources for four common surgical procedures. Aust NZ Journal of Surgery 2019: 89; 842-7
• Kent NB, Liang SS, Phillips S, Smith NA, Khandkar C, Eikermann M, Stewart PA. Therapeutic doses of neostigmine, depolarising neuromuscular blockade and muscle weakness in awake volunteers: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised volunteer study. Anaesthesia 2018: 73; 1079-89
• Stuetzle KV, Pavlin BI, Smith NA, Weston KM. Survey of occupational fatigue in anaesthetists in Australia and New Zealand. Anaesthesia Intensive Care 2018: 46(4); 414-23
• Smith NA. Drug dosage in patients with obesity: Investigation of lean body mass. Anaesth Intensive Care 2021; 49: 486-8
• Fong J, Khoo E, Smith NA. How accurately do anesthetists estimate the cost of their drugs? Journal of Clinical Anesthesia 2018; 46: 45–46

• Member of the ISLHD Research Committee

Honorary Clinical Associate Professor – UOW

Deputy Director, Departmen tof Anaesthesia – St George Hospital