This study examines the activity and outcomes of the Gold Coast Hospital and Health Services (GCHHS) Telepalliative Care Service, which was introduced in February 2016 to support patients nearing the end of their lives at home. The telepalliative care service reduces the burden of the traditional model of care, which involves either the patient travelling to the hospital for an outpatient consultation or the specialist palliative care consultant travelling to the patient’s home. Since its inception, the telehealth-facilitated model of palliative care has expanded so that community carers (e.g. from non-government organisations) can use this mode of delivery to consult with palliative specialists, nurses and allied health professionals.
As well as improved access to palliative care, the telehealth service has the potential to increase monitoring and support; prevent the escalation of symptoms and crises; improve patient outcomes and; reduce the use of unnecessary clinical services (e.g. accident and emergency, hospital admissions). The Centre for Online Health is undertaking a systematic evaluation of the GCHHS Telepalliative care service to quantify costs and benefits of such a service, as well as explore its impact on staff and inform opportunities for growth.
Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service staff
- Dr Andrew Broadbent, Director of GCHHS Supportive and Specialist Palliative Care
- Ms Julie-Ann Brydon, Team Leader
- Ms Alyssia Berghammer, Acting Team Leader
