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Healthcare IT, Local Government

Queensland trials telehealth project

By Alice Kok | 6 February 2009

The Australian state of Queensland has launched a telehealth project in the local government district of Ipswich to improve the efficiency of treatment for patients with chronic disease.

The Telehealth Lifestyle Coordination (TLC) project will monitor and manage chronic disease sufferers without the need for patients to leave their homes. If successful, the system could be rolled out nationwide.

The pilot project aims to show that telehealth is a viable alternative – or supplement to –hospital care. Chief Executive Officer of Ipswich Community Aid, Erik Jansink, said that in the long-term future telehealth could become a regular part of Medicare, Australia’s health insurance programme.

Telehealth enables patients who don’t need constant supervision to lead as normal a life as possible, while managing their illness.

A small HomeMed unit is installed in a patient’s home. The unit instructs the patient to take vital sign readings and ask tailored questions. The vital sign reading is then transmitted over telephone lines to a website where it is checked against pre-set parameters. If any readings exceed pre-set parameters, the data is red-flagged and a healthcare provider alerted.

Queensland Health Minister Stephen Robertson said: “The benefit of telehealth services lies in removing physical and social distances between health professionals and patients without affecting the quality of care provided.”

It is expected that about 100 people will be involved in the pilot.

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