Tele-home monitoring in rural and remote health district and Aboriginal Medical Services
Tele-home monitoring in rural and remote health district and Aboriginal Medical Services Conference Paper
14th National Rural Health Conference: A World of Rural Health
- Author(s): Murray, M., Wilcox, M
- Secondary Author(s): Coleman, Leanne
- Published: 2017
- Publisher: National Rural Health Alliance
Abstract: NSW Health rural e-health strategy provided funding to rural Health Districts to trial remote tele-home monitoring in the Hospital in the Home (HITH) setting. Two trials commenced in Western NSW Local Health District (WNSWLHD) in 2016. Trial one is targeting HITH inpatients with acute, post-acute or sub-acute illness and community outpatients with chronic disease. Multiple sites are participating including large base health services, medium-sized procedural hospitals and small rural and remote health facilities. Remote tele-health home monitoring is an emerging technology and service, provided to small degree in WNSWLHD by non-government organisations like Integrated Living and CareWest. The WNSWLHD trial represents an opportunity to pilot tele-home monitoring technology with public health service clinicians and key community partners to test how it can be integrated into current HITH, community health and Primary Health Networks in rural and remote NSW. Staff initially targeted to manage tele-home monitoring are community or HITH nurses. The second trial is a partnership between WNSWLHD and Bila Muuji Aboriginal Medical Service Group. Eight Aboriginal Medical Services in Bourke, Brewarrina, Wellington, Orange, Dubbo, Coonamble, Forbes and Walgett will trial tele-home monitoring with their community clients with chronic disease. The partnership will facilitate sharing of resources and early learnings from the first trial and supporting local Aboriginal Medical Services to test tele-home monitoring within their unique business models, staffing and clientele. The purpose of the trials are to expose clinicians to this technology; test tele-home monitoring equipment with existing clients and evaluate if the additional biometric data contributes to better informed health care decisions and earlier detection of clinical deterioration in health status. The trial objectives include: - acceptance of tele-home monitoring by health service medical and nursing clinicians and patients; - useability of tele-home monitoring within existing rural and remote HITH, community health, primary care and AMS service delivery; - relevance of tele-home monitoring with the target groups to detect early deterioration in health potentially leading to reduced frequency of hospitalisation, presentation to the emergency department, decreased length of stay or increased referrals to HITH; - improve patient knowledge and capacity to self-manage. Guidelines, clinical tools, professional and patient resources were developed, with trial one training and patient enrolment commenced in May 2016. Trial two partnership with Aboriginal Medical Services commenced in October 2016. Progress reports will be presented on both trials, outlining early learning’s, key challenges, issues and successes.
- Urls: http://www.ruralhealth.org.au/14nrhc/sites/default/files/Murray%2C%20Monica_B7.pdf Available from, http://www.ruralhealth.org.au/14nrhc/program/concurrent-speakers Download site
- Publisher Location: Cairns