Aim
To enable access to appropriate non-surgical management for those patients seen by the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital (RBWH) Spinal Physiotherapy Screening Clinic who are unable to access equivalent allied health services within their local community.
Benefits
- Enables equitable access to healthcare interventions in an affordable and timely manner, regardless of patient location.
- Improved continuity of care, as episodes of care remain within the service, thereby strengthening communication between all parties. Care does not need to be delayed or cease when the patient is required to be away from home.
- Most patients seen within the service achieved a clinically significant improvement in function at the time of discharge.
- Reduced steps in the patient journey, with two-thirds of patients removed from specialist outpatient waiting lists.
Background
Chronic musculoskeletal conditions are a leading cause of pain and disability within Australia, where recommended first-line interventions include a multidisciplinary non-surgical approach. Unfortunately access to such services can be severely limited for individuals who reside in regional and rural Queensland. Telehealth is considered an appropriate medium to deliver recommended services in a timely and clinically effective manner.
The RBWH Spinal Physiotherapy Screening Clinic and Multidisciplinary Service (SPSCMDS) Telehealth Clinic commenced clinic activity in February 2017. This three day per week clinic is comprised of a multidisciplinary treatment team (physiotherapy, occupational therapy, psychology, dietetics and pharmacy) where clinical care is delivered directly into the patient's home via their own internet-enabled device. A collaborative partnership was formed with the Centre for Research in Telerehabilitation (University of Queensland) for this project.
