Overview
Initiative type
Model of Care
Status
Sustained
Published
19 March 2019
Summary
The Iningai Health Arcade in Central West Hospital and Health Service employs a dedicated telehealth clinical nurse to work with the Specialist Outpatients team to improve patient outcomes for the Indigenous community. Visiting specialists and specialist nurses present clinics and telehealth appointments with specialists at this location.
Key dates
Oct 2017 - Jun 2018
Implementation sites
Central West HHS - Longreach Hospital, and GP medical centres in Central West HHS.
Partnerships
Telehealth Support Unit, Healthcare Improvement Unit, Clinical Excellence Queensland, Central West HHS GP clinics.
Aim
To improve patient outcomes by establishing a Clinical Nurse position at the Iningai Clinical rooms, where all Telehealth outpatient appointments based in Longreach are conducted .
Outcomes
- increased access to safe and high-quality care
- timely intervention and improved continuity of care
- improved health outcomes for remote communities provided in a safe and sustainable way.
Background
A shortage of General Practice services in remote and regional centres leave some communities without access to immediate medical care.
Methods
A dedicated telehealth clinical nurse position coordinates telehealth outpatients activity from the Iningai Health Arcade.
The Iningai Health Arcade also accepts referrals for Healthy Ageing, Speech Pathology, Aged Care and Assessment Team (ACAT), Cardiac Rehabilitation program, Pulmonary Rehabilitation program, Chronic Disease team, Healthy Lifestyles program, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health team, and Child, Youth and Family services.
The Clinical Nurse position in Iningai has been sponsored by the Healthcare Improvement Unit, to support and establish a nursing position that is not located in the hospital to deliver, support, and engage in Telehealth services. This role highlights the importance of working with the specialist outpatients team in reviewing referrals and working collaboratively with our visiting specialists for reviewing some of their patients via telehealth.
Discussion and Lessons Learnt
This project has worked well in utilising the CN in all clinics and demonstrating the importance of having a consistent presence in the space for developing processes and following up patients with their GPs.
Key contact
Louise Poole
Assistant Director of Nursing Primary Health
Central West Hospital and Health Service