Patients in Northern Queensland requiring rehabilitation consultations may benefit from an innovative telehealth rehabilitation service currently being trialled by Queensland Health, The University of Queensland and statewide telehealth services.
Cairns Hospital is working with The University of Queensland (UQ) in the two-year, $130,000 eHAB trial which undertakes speech pathology, physiotherapy or occupational therapy assessments and treatment on-line.
UQ specialist Dr Trevor Russell, an inventor of the system, said the University had developed the specialised videoconferencing system to allow professionals to undertake speech pathology, physiotherapy or occupational therapy assessments on-line.
“In addition to the hospital services, the system can also provide high quality treatment services to patients in their own homes," Dr Russell said.
“For example, we can have a physiotherapist, an occupational therapist or a speech pathologist sitting in front of one system here at the hospital, and a patient sitting in front of another system in another facility, or indeed their own home – and they can carry out an on-line consultation.
“The system basically allows Allied Health professionals to undertake clinical measurements such as balance, gait analysis, swallow assessments, and so on, over the internet from wherever the patient might be located.’’
Cairns Base Hospital physiotherapist Tania Cavanagh, who is the project manager for the trial, said the hospital had been given six eHAB units by statewide telehealth services with which to conduct the e-HAB trials.
“The hospital is trialling a wireless network model and they will have eHAB units situated in Cairns hospital, as well as Innisfail, Tully, Mareeba, Atherton and Mossman hospitals,” Ms Cavanagh said.
“From any of these systems, clinical staff will be able to connect to any other system.
“Wherever an appropriate Allied Health professional might be located and available within the network, an on-line consultation with a patient from another facility is possible.”
“This eHAB service will enable Allied Health professionals to perform real-time, objective evaluations of their clients to assist with accurate diagnostic and treatment procedures.”
Dr Russell said the eHAB trial would be evaluated to determine how much patient and Allied Health staff travel time it saved, as well as gauge improvements in access for patients in country areas to Allied Health professionals.
“We expect there will be improvements in all these areas,’’ Dr Russell said.
“We also expect the eHAB service will result in improved professional supervision, confidence and support for Allied Health professionals, wherever they are based.”
The eHAB trials are backed by the Cairns and Hinterland Health Service District, and the statewide Telehealth service, which is a Queensland Health unit dedicated to developing a standard model of telehealth service and rolling out the new video-conferencing technology throughout the State.
Allied Health staff will be trained in the use of the eHAB systems over the coming weeks and the tele-rehabilitation trial will then would go live from early March.
Patients in the Southern area can also look forward to a similar trial coming on line shortly from Toowoomba hospital.
MEDIA OPPORTUNITY:
Two specialists from the University of Queensland (Dr Trevor Russell and Assoc. Professor Deborah Theodoros) will be conducting staff training along with project manager Tania Cavanagh (Hospital Director of Physiotherapy) at Cairns Hospital from 9am-12 noon tomorrow (Friday).
For an interview/media opportunity please contact:
Jim Guthrie
Senior Public Affairs Officer
Ph: 4050 8320 or 0405 108 512
For further information:
The University of Queensland — Marlene McKendry – 0401 996 847
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