Delivering allied health therapy by telehealth to children in rural schools.
Funding source: Shell QGC
Start/end date: Jan 2023 to Dec 2025
The Health-e-Regions project is led by the UQ Centre for Online Health, in partnership with Shell QGC and Queensland Health. Since the establishment of the project in 2012, we have been supporting communities in the western downs region of Queensland, including Dalby, Chinchilla, Wandoan, Tara and Miles. The aim of the project is to improve access to a range of specialist health services through the use of telehealth. Our focus has been on the delivery of telehealth services within hospitals, primary care clinics, and nursing homes.
In 2015, we expanded the scope of the Health-e-Regions project to include the delivery of allied health services to children in the school environment. This work involves a collaborative approach with Education Queensland and the UQ tele-rehabilitation clinic (TRC). UQ allied health students under clinical supervision – provide speech and occupational therapy services (by videoconference) to children in the classroom. Six schools have been supported with the necessary telehealth facilities, enabling children to connect to virtual allied health clinics without leaving the school grounds. Another benefit of this service model is the training opportunity for the next generation of allied health professionals who are developing skills in the digital health environment.
2021 has seen expansion of the project in partnership with Goondir Health Services Dalby, using telehealth to improve access to allied health services for First Nations' children in a culturally supportive environment.
Our project is exploring the benefits of telehealth for children at school – in regard to health and well-being, and educational outcomes according to teacher feedback. Since the school-based service began in 2015 - over 5000 therapy sessions have been delivered for more than 150 families – saving travel and improving access to services in regional areas of Queensland.
- Langbecker, D., Snoswell, C. L., Smith, A. C., Verboom, J., & Caffery, L. J. (2020). Long-term effects of childhood speech and language disorders: A scoping review. South African Journal of Childhood Education, 10(1), 1-13. doi:10.4102/sajce.v10i1.801. Long-term effects of childhood speech and language disorders: A scoping review
- Langbecker, D, Caffery, L, Taylor, M, Theodoros, D, Smith, AC. Impact of school-based allied health therapy via telehealth on children’s speech and language, class participation and educational outcomes. Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare. 2019 Oct;25(9):559-565. doi: 10.1177/1357633X19875848. Impact of School-Based Allied Health Therapy via Telehealth on Children's Speech and Language, Class Participation and Educational Outcomes
- Bradford, N, Caffery, L., Taylor, M., Meiklejohn, J., C Smith, AC., & Langbecker, D. Speech-language Pathology Services Delivered by Telehealth in a Rural Educational Setting: the School’s Perspective. ISFTeH, 6, 1-8. doi:10.29086/JISfTeH.6.e20 Speech-language Pathology Services Delivered by Telehealth in a Rural Educational Setting: the School’s Perspective
- Bradford NK, Caffery LJ, Smith AC. Telehealth services in rural and remote Australia: a systematic review of models of care and factors influencing success and sustainability. Rural and Remote Health 2016 Oct-Dec;16(4):3808. Epub 2016 Oct 17. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27744708
- Taylor R. Tara Shire State College Connects to Virtual Health Service. The Queensland Principal. 2016; 43(2): 37
- Bradford N, Caffery L, Smith AC. Awareness, experiences and perceptions of telehealth in a rural Queensland community. BMC Health Services Research. 2015; 15(1): 427-436. Awareness, experiences and perceptions of telehealth in a rural Queensland community
- Caffery L, Smith AC. Investigating the quality of video consultations performed using fourth generation (4G) mobile telecommunications. Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare. 2015; 21(6): 348-354. Investigating the quality of video consultations performed using fourth generation (4G) mobile telecommunications
- Smith AC. A multi-stakeholder strategy for the generation of new telehealth services in rural Queensland. American Telemedicine Association Conference, ATA Annual International Meeting and Trade Show 2015. 2-5 May 2015. Los Angeles, California, USA. https://doi.org/10.1089/tmj.2015.9994-A.abstracts (abstract)
- Smith AC, Caffery L, Saunders R, Bradford N, Gray LC. Generating new telehealth services using a whole of community approach: experience in regional Queensland. Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare. 2014; 20(7): 365-369. Generating new telehealth services using a whole of community approach: experience in regional Queensland
- Croll J, Norton CJ, Gray LC, Bryett A, Smith AC. "Telehealth opportunities in regional Queensland: a scoping study." Journal of telemedicine and telecare 18(8): 451-454 (2012). Telehealth opportunities in regional Queensland: a scoping study
“I have witnessed a solid growth in confidence in all students engaged in the program. The quality of their sound articulation has improved with each session. I have witnessed a growth in the student’s positive attitude to their learning in all learning areas. Parent engagement in the program has been amazing.”
Mary Porter
Principal
St Joseph’s Tara
“A very worthwhile program overcoming rural isolation and supporting the speech and language needs of our most vulnerable.”
Principal feedback
2018 survey
“Students have found the program very beneficial because they have been given concrete materials and strategies that they can use to help them in their challenged areas. The program is non- threatening and paced to suit their individual needs.”
Peter O’Farrell
Learning Support/Teacher
Wandoan
“Students enjoy going to the sessions and have actually been upset when they thought the sessions were starting and they thought they were going to miss out.”
Greg Smith
Learning Support
St Joseph's Tara
“Excellent initiative, great addition to school”
“I think what you do is fantastic for rural areas like this. Thank you.”
Parent feedback
2018 survey
“What a fantastic program. The student’s enthusiasm is contagious and watching the student’s progress so rewarding.”
Leeanne Carden Smith
Teacher aide
St Joseph’s Tara
- Western Downs kids supported through Health-e-Regions
- Health-e-regions teaches Leesa new techniques
- From quiet to confident: Kandice's transformation
- Positive change being achieved in Miles
- Beth's journey to Chinchilla
- Telehealth helps Western Downs kids cut kilometres (14 September 2016)
- Telehealth in the spotlight (28 September 2015)
- Speaking of virtual health… (25 August 2015)
- Darling Downs Health-e-Regions project expands to new towns (10 Oct 2014)
- Telehealth for Tara and Wandoan (9 October 2014)
- Dedicated telehealth services double in the Darling Downs (2 September 2014)
- Chinchilla dials in to telehealth project (28 August 2014)
- Telehealth services go west to the Darling Downs (Pulse+IT magazine; 26 February 2013)
- Aus gas firm, Queensland univ setup telehealth network (Bio Spectrum 19 February 2013)
- QGC invests $1.3m in online medical services (Toowoomba Chronicle; 19 February 2013)
- Close inspection (Toowoomba Chronicle, December 8 2011)
- UQ researchers to investigate virtual health service needs (November 2011)