It has been 10 months since we expanded our telehealth services from our Cairns Base to cover weekend hours. In this short period of time, the addition of this service has demonstrated significant improvements in access to remote Primary Health Care.
Funded by the North Queensland Primary Health Network, the benefits of having extended telehealth hours have:
- Shown a significant decrease in the number of aeromedical retrievals and hospital admissions, leading to significant cost savings to both the health system, the patient and their families.
- Increased the availability and access to healthcare for patients and their families resulting in less patient travel and better in-home care.
- Increased clinical and emotional support for remote health staff.
- Enhanced use of digital technology including video calls and increased use of electronic medical records.
Thanks to the success of this program in Cairns, RFDS (Queensland Section) is aiming to expand this service to across the state as soon as increased funding can be secured. If you would like to expand this service in your local community, please contact Candice Crawford, State Manager Strategy and Engagement at ccrawford@rfdsqld.com.au
