SA Health has started a 24/7 telehealth service in rural and regional South Australia.
Funded by the SA National Primary Health Network, this service is being provided by the Rural Support Services Integrated Cardiovascular Clinical Network.
HOW IT WORKS
Free service for people 15 years of age and older with a GP referral, providing patients with a monitoring kit that allows them to measure their vital signs, including blood pressure, oxygen levels, heart rate and home temperature. The kit also comes with a digital tablet so they can upload their health data through a secure website. These data are then reviewed by a specialist nurse, who can also talk to them about next steps via a live video link at any time of the day, seven days a week.
According to a press release, the new service is intended for patients at risk of hospitalization, including those with heart disease, respiratory disease and infections; residents care for the elderly; and COVID-19 patients with comorbidities.
WHY IT IMPORTANT
South Australian Health Minister Chris Picton said providing 24/7 telehealth is expected to reduce unnecessary hospital admissions, while ensuring access to care. high-quality emergency care anytime from the comfort of a patient’s home and supporting rural general practitioners.
Around seven million Australians, or about 28% of the total population, live in rural and remote areas. Because of their geographic location, these people receive less care than people living in large cities and therefore often have poorer health outcomes. Based According to data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, people living in remote areas are hospitalized at nearly twice the rate of people living in big cities. People in remote communities have lower GP visits than people living in urban areas.
TREND TO BIGGER WOMAN
SA Health has been trying to reduce hospital admissions over the past few years by leveraging telehealth. Last year, it began rolling out virtual care to residential aged care facilities in partnership with SA Ambulance Service. The SA Virtual Care provides emergency patients on the scene along with personalized assessment responders via video link. It is said that during the trial, the service was able to reduce the number of emergency hospital admissions and emergency calls for about 70% of patients.
