News

Trial of telehealth to ensure continuity of primary care

Thu, 26 Apr 2018 10:16:00

A model combining new technology and increased training is being developed to ensure quality ongoing primary health care across the Mallee Track catchment when permanent local doctors are not available.

Mallee Track Health and Community Services (MTHCS) is formalising the trial of a model of care and service delivery that will be led by highly-qualified Registered Nurses supported by general practitioners via Telehealth.
The Australian Government’s Murray Primary Health Network (PHN) is funding MTHCS to investigate how information communication technology can be used to deliver primary health care services to patients.
Chief Executive Officer Lois O’Callaghan said the drive to recruit permanent local doctors would continue, but in the meantime, options of Telehealth would be explored – together with community interests and support for this model.
Telehealth is the use of information communication technology (phone, internet and skype for instance) to enable nurses and medical staff to share files and test results with doctors, assess patients and even obtain authorities for prescriptions.
Ms O’Callaghan said MTHCS and Murray PHN had been working on the model for several months and it was hoped the service would be fully operational in June.
“It’s still early days, but as a first step we will be trialling the service in Sea Lake first with a view to other communities where there is interest and support for rolling out Telehealth,” Ms O’Callaghan said.
If there is interest and response across the catchment, the service will see existing Registered Nurses throughout the Sea Lake, Ouyen, Underbool, Murrayville and Patchewollock areas able to facilitate access to GPs via telecommunication.   The Registered Nurse will play a critical role in being the ‘eyes and ears’ of the assessing GP, and where possible provide treatment to the patient.  The GP will provide medical oversight of treatment and will prescribe remotely where needed.
“A registered nurse-led model of care means we can provide much faster treatment, referrals and transfers in many cases, and reduce the time people might otherwise have to wait to access a doctor,” she said.
“We still hope to gain the services of local doctors and be able to reduce our reliance on locums, but this is an efficient alternative that is being used increasingly in rural areas.”
Business Manager, Sarah Putt, is leading development of the Telehealth model.
She said she would attend community forums over the coming weeks to obtain community feedback and explain more about how Telehealth will work.