Poster Session
HRT11420 –Innovation Awards
November 2014 Melbourne
Remote Chemotherapy
Supervision via Telehealth
Tim Males
Townsville HHS
The Health Roundtable
Innovation
Development of a remote chemotherapy model
delivered via telehealth
Cancer patients from small rural towns in North
Queensland are now able to access chemotherapy
treatment at a hospital facility closer to home,
without the need for travel to larger cancer centres
The Health Roundtable
Summary
Patients from rural and remote communities
travelling long distances, and incurring long stays away
from home, for chemotherapy treatment
Access chemotherapy treatment in facilities closer to
home
Clinician training and Telehealth supervision
100% of rural and remote patient requiring
chemotherapy are treated using Tele-Chemo model
The Health Roundtable
Key problem
In smaller rural health facilities, low patient numbers
do not justify employing chemotherapy trained
nurses
Frequent staff turn over in rural and remote health
facilities make sustained chemotherapy service
delivery unsustainable
Patients from these rural towns have to travel long
distances to Townsville, and often to stay in
Townsville for extended periods, for chemotherapy
treatment
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Aim
Patients from rural and remote locations should be able to
access chemotherapy services closer to home
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Baseline data
Prior to the implementation of this model, 100% of
North QLD rural cancer patients travelled to Townsville
for chemotherapy and management of central venous
devices; suffering disruption to family life and incurring
financial cost
95 rural cancer patients travelled to Townsville for
chemotherapy in the period October 2012 – November
2013
Average rural patient travel and accommodation costs
for each chemotherapy treatment was $515 per visit
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Changes
Capacity review of resource allocation to meet
requirements including VC equipment
Governance for operation, safety, administration, training
and other requirements
Allocation of a medical officers for consultations
Select of rural nurses for training and tertiary nurses for
direct supervision of chemotherapy administration using
telehealth
Arrangements between pharmacies for supplies and
selection of suitable chemotherapy agents
Implementation of electronic medical records for
documenting clinical encounters and sharing information
between sites
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Outcomes
Nov 2013 – Oct 2014
26 patients treated using the Tele-Chemo model in the
first twelve months
118 occasions of chemotherapy administration at rural
and remote hospitals (supervised by chemotherapy
nurses in Townsville via videoconference)
120 telehealth consultations to support the Tele-Chemo
treatments
38,000 kms of patient travel and 238 nights away from
home avoided
No admissions due to complications
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Outcomes
This model has now been extended as a Queensland
statewide model (QReCS)
Developed by statewide cancer and rural clinical
networks
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Lessons learnt
Stakeholder engagement
Committed clinicians with a patient focus
Benefits were not only for the patients but also for the
rural clinicians in terms of extending their scope of
practice and connecting with tertiary colleagues
Ensure the coordination of the service is of a high
standard to ensure smooth operation
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For further information
Google Search – QReCS Guide
A/Prof Sabe Sabesan
Tropical Centre for Telehealth Practice and Research,
Townsville Hospital
[email protected]
Ms Maree Bransdon
CIRCS, Brisbane
[email protected]
The Health Roundtable