Taking telehealth to older Queenslanders

The University of Queensland is one of nine recipients to share a $20 million federal government fund for trialling innovative health care delivery over the national broadband network (NBN).

The grant will enable UQ’s Telerehabilitation Research Unit (TRU), Centre for Online Health (COH) and Centre for Research in Geriatric Medicine (CRGM) to deliver high-speed telehealth to older people living in Queensland.

Chief investigator and telerehabilitation research unit co-director, Professor Deborah Theodoros, will lead the UQ team of researchers that will deliver the Comprehensive Telehealth Assisted Care (ConTAC) program to 650 older people.

“The aim is to provide more efficient and effective care, reduce travel time and improve clinical outcomes using telehealth,” Professor Theodoros said.

The program is funded by a $2.75 million Department of Health and Ageing NBN Enabled Telehealth Pilots Program grant.

Facilitated by UniQuest, UQ’s commercialisation company, the program will deliver telehealth services to Queenslanders in residential aged care facilities and those in need of palliative care in their homes.

Professor Theodoros said telehealth services would be greatly improved by the high-speed, reliable broadband provided by the NBN.

“Access to health services will be more accessible throughout Queensland, particularly for older people living in rural or remote areas,” she said.

“Telehealth reduces the need for health related transport, which in turn reduces costs and stress.

“UQ’s TRU, COH and CRGM are collaborating on this project to provide the best possible outcome for older people living in Queensland,” she said.

COH and CRGM director Professor Len Gray said the three UQ centres were in an ideal position to provide telehealth-assisted care to Queenslanders.

“The COH and CRGM are leaders in providing geriatric telemedicine services, and the NBN Enabled Telehealth Pilots Program grant will help improve quality of care to many of those in need of better care,” Professor Gray said.

UniQuest acting chief executive, Dr Dean Moss, said the program would focus on patients who needed high cost aged care and palliative services.

“Receiving support of this level highlights the federal government’s confidence in UQ’s capacity to translate research expertise into products and services that directly benefit Australians,” Dr Moss said.