New smartphone app to assist palliative aged care
A new, free smartphone app is giving those working in the care sector, particularly GPs, access to specialist medical advice to care for older palliative patients at home or in residential aged care facilities across Australia.
A new, free smartphone app is giving GPs access to specialist medical advice to care for older palliative patients at home or in residential aged care facilities across Australia.
hief investigator of the Decision Assist Program, claims the app brings together a “unique” set of resources and information accessible to GPs across Australia, including those in rural and remote areas.
“The Decision Assist Program has highlighted the importance of ensuring our health professionals are well trained and have access to specialist medical advice in the area of palliative care,” Associate Professor Tieman says.
“The app is just one of a suite of free resources for GPs on palliative care and advance care planning that have developed by Decision Assist,” she says.
Dr Greg Parker, assistant director of Metro South Palliative Care Service, says the new smartphone app provided many benefits for doctors.
“GPs who are called upon to treat elderly patients in a residential care or at home setting may have limited experience providing palliative care,” Dr Parker claims.
“The app provides information that will help them manage and care for their patients in the final stages of their life,” he adds.
The Decision Assist Project is funded by the federal government to build capacity, linkages and access to palliative care and advance care planning to assist older people using aged care services.
The Decision Assist Program is being undertaken by a consortium of eight expert organisations: Austin Health, Aged and Community Care Australia, Flinders University, LASA, Palliative Care Australia, University of Queensland and Queensland University of Technology. Austin Health is the lead organisation.
The palliAGED app can be downloaded for free at Google Play, Windows phone store and Apple iTunes.
