Technology saves patients travel time

South West patients with blood cancer celebrated advances in digital technology last week, which allow them to access medical treatment and advice closer to home.

Telehealth Awareness Week shone a light on how digital technology has helped country people access specialist care closer to home.

Cancer nurse coordinator Jacqui Macnish said visiting haematologists from Perth provided outpatient clinics from Bunbury Hospital, which gave patients the option to be seen either face-to-face or by telehealth.

“Patients diagnosed with a blood cancer often have many months, if not years, of treatment and patients in the South West can travel three to four hours each way for a 20 minute appointment,” she said.

“When you add that up over the years, this local service strongly supported by telehealth saves our patients so much time away from home, work and their families.

“The patient feedback for this service has been very positive.”

For regional patients suffering from long-term illnesses, accessing medical help can be increasingly difficult, with many travelling hours for short appointments.

Since the introduction of telehealth services throughout regional WA, patients have been able to cut down those hours spent travelling and time spent away from families.

The services offered via telehealth includes specialist emergency support to staff in country hospitals to treat acute emergency patients, including people with mental health concerns, inpatient consults through a virtual ward round and outpatient consults with specialists.