Burns specialists from throughout the world will make a virtual visit to Brisbane today (Friday, August 25), as part of a telemedicine conference hosted by The University of Queensland’s Centre for Online Health.
The virtual conference is the showpiece of the event, which has brought together 140 health professionals to share their experiences in the developing area of online healthcare.
The link-up, designed to show some of the opportunities provided by online technology, will be held from 8– 10am on Friday, August 25, 2006. Several countries including China, the US, and New Zealand will be involved in an international burns meeting via videoconference to discuss the latest in treatment and management of burn injuries.
The 6th International Conference on Successes and Failures in Telehealthis hosted by the Centre for Online Health (COH) in partnership with the Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH). It has attracted delegates from the USA, Norway, UK, Russia, Denmark, Finland, New Zealand, Korea, Brazil and Canada. The conference will run for two full days from Thursday 24th – Friday 25th August in the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital at Herston, Brisbane.
The COH will highlight several research projects conducted in partnership with the RCH, including online telepaediatric burns services and a unique research trial involving tele-otology which has the potential to benefit thousands of indigenous children with ear disease in Queensland.
Special guests of the conference were Lord and Lady Swinfen of the Swinfen Charitable Trust, leaders in the field of international telemedicine. The trust coordinates consultations between doctors in developing countries and medical specialists. The COH acts as the international referral centre for the Trust’s global operations. The Centre, with the support of Director of Research, Professor Richard Wootton, assists by providing this service during the UK nighttime, using local doctors who generously give free advice. The telemedicine link is made via email and digital images of the patient which enables doctors in hospitals in the developing world to connect with and local and interstate specialists.
Media: For more information, please contact Dr Anthony Smith on 0413 901 644.
