Centre for Online Health

Supporting regional kids with telehealth support in the classroom

Funding source: Shell QGC  

Start/end date:  Jan 2026 to Dec 2028

The Health-e-Regions program is an innovative digital health initiative led by The University of Queensland's Centre for Online Health, delivered in partnership with Shell QGC, Queensland Health, Education Queensland, Goondir Health Services, and schools across the Western Downs and Gladstone regions. Originally launched in 2012, the Health-e-Regions program has maintained its focus on improving access to specialist and allied health services in rural and regional Queensland through practical and community embedded telehealth service models. 

Previous elements of the Health-e-Regions program have focussed on telehealth support for hospitals, primary care, and aged care facilities.  In 2015, Health-e-Regions shifted its attention from health care facilities to school-based settings. The program uses telehealth (video conferencing) to deliver virtual allied health services to children, bringing speech pathology, occupational therapy, and audiology directly into classrooms. The model also supports the development of our future digital health workforce by engaging UQ students and university supervisors in virtual clinical placements. 

A central pillar of the program is exploring the benefits of telehealth for children at school, including impacts on health and wellbeing, as well as educational outcomes reported by teachers. Since 2015, more than 8,500 therapy sessions have been delivered to over 450 families, significantly reducing travel requirements and improving access to essential services for children across regional Queensland. 

Currently, the program supports communities in Dalby, Chinchilla, Wandoan, Tara, Miles, and Gladstone, including dedicated services for First Nations families delivered in partnership with Goondir Health Services. Feedback on the program continues to show positive impact on the children receiving telehealth support – including improvements in communication, participation, and classroom engagement.  Reports also show consistently high levels of satisfaction from teachers, school support staff, and parents.

Over the next three years (2026-2028), Health-e-Regions will continue its mission: improving health, wellbeing, and educational outcomes for children in regional Queensland by ensuring more children can access the specialist care they need - no matter where they live.  Further work will be carried out to assess the impact on the children receiving these services from a learning, development and achievement perspective. 

Health-e-Regions is supported by Shell QGC and delivered by University of Queensland. The social investment program, supported by Shell's joint venture partners CNOOC and Midocean Energy, helps children in the Western Downs to access allied health support.  

Professor Anthony Smith

Professor Trevor Russell

Mrs Lisa Garner

Mrs Andrea Abel

Ms Monica Taylor

 

 

"Health-e-Region's telehealth gives our students access to specialised care they need without the barriers of distance. Care is just a click away helping every child reach their full potential."

- Trish Moore, School officer and session facilitator, St Joseph's School Chinchilla

"The session is fun and engaging for the students targeting their individual interests.  I support a student in OT and am having to provide a daily countdown from Monday as to when he gets to "see his friends on the iPad" as he loves it so much.  The progress he has made in writing and following instructions and engaging in the activity has been phenomenal."

-Dariel, Teacher Aide, Tara Shire State College
 

This is the first time I have been involved with the Health-e-Region's Program as a Learning Support Teacher who recently relocated to a small regional town, Chinchilla. There can be barriers to accessing allied health services like Speech Language Pathology due to the long distance from regional centres and cost to families.  

The Telehealth program has provided some of our most vulnerable young learners with access to Speech Language Pathology, which is critical for their language and literacy development. Our students enjoy attending their weekly therapy sessions online with support from our School Officers. Individualised goals and progress reports assist our teachers in planning for personalised learning in the classroom. Communication between program coordinators and our school has been excellent. Our school and families are so thankful for the opportunity to access this exceptional program.

- Tina Lattimore, Learning Support Teacher, St Joseph's School Chinchilla

"The Telehealth sessions funded by Shell QGC have helped Harry improve his letter formation significantly. His handwriting is neat and legible, and he concentrates on his work. Harry enjoys the sessions and how they are delivered. The Telehealth OT program is vital in a rural school to assist students in areas where they need a little extra focus."

- Helen Hatton, parent of Year 1 Student, Wandoan State School

"We are very grateful that we are able to be a part of the UQ Telehealth program. It has made a huge difference to our students speech and their confidence in talking which is flowing over into their success in the classroom."

- Donna Duff, Deputy Principal Special Education, Gladstone South State School

The Health-e-Regions Telehealth program is an extremely valuable asset for our small rural school. Without this resource our students would have to travel long distances and be withdrawn from school to access speech programs. Our parents and staff value the availability of this program for all students and speak passionately and enthusiastically of the positive impacts of this program for our students.

Thank you QGC for sponsoring the Health-e-Regions program so that high quality speech-language pathology services are accessible to all students and families. You are making a difference in the lives of our students and their families.

- Principal, Miles State School

Health-e-Regions supports our students to better participate and engage in class, curriculum and the playground. We have observed positive impacts including: 

Speech-Language:

  • Understand verbal instructions
  • Ability to follow multi-step directions
  • Confidence to express themselves orally in a range of situations
  • Pronouncing sounds and words correctly.
  • Speak in complete sentences

O.T.

  • Improved handwriting skills: sitting posture, pencil grip, writing pressure, formation of letters, letter spacing/size/slope.
  • Development of fine motor skills- drawing skills, willingness and accuracy when participating in activities such as cutting, drawing, writing.
  • Development of gross motor skills- ability to sit at desk, sit in learning position on carpet for longer periods of time, crossing over of the midline, building coordination.

- Melissa Verdon, Learning Support Teacher, Chinchilla State Primary School

"I would like to thank QGC and the school for making this program possible for our children. I have noticed a huge improvement with my son and his speech since commencing this program. This has allowed him to develop better relationships with his teachers and peers. Prior to commencing speech, the other children and teachers were finding it difficult to understand him and this was leading to him losing his confidence and lead to frustration when trying to communicate. Now he is a much more confident student and child and his school work has improved as he can sound words out better and engage in conversations.

It is a fantastic benefit to the students."

- Yasmin Kennedy, Parent, Miles State School

Case 1 - Speech and Language Development

David is a six year old Year 1 student from Wandoan, a small rural community with limited access to early childhood and allied health services. He had no access to day care and only began formal learning at the local kindergarten, making early identification and support difficult.

From a very young age, David experienced significant speech and language delays. His communication was non verbal for an extended period, and he struggled to comprehend language, which affected his ability to participate socially and academically. These challenges often left him isolated from his peers and limited his engagement in the classroom.

David was referred to the Health-e-Regions program to address his speech, language, and developmental needs. Through regular telehealth appointments, he accessed both Speech Pathology and Occupational Therapy.

Since participating in the program, David has made huge improvements in his communication and overall development. His ability to understand and use language has strengthened, and he now interacts more confidently at school. The progress he has made has transformed his classroom participation and supported his social connections.

David's family and school have expressed deep gratitude for the opportunity, noting they "can't fault the program" and are extremely thankful for the support provided.

Case 2 - Building Confidence in Communication

Molly is an eight year old Year 1 student from Central Queensland. She has a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and experiences learning difficulties, particularly in literacy. Molly often finds it challenging to express her ideas in writing and becomes anxious and very quiet when speaking in front of others.

Molly was referred to the Health-e-Regions program to address her speech and language needs. Her reluctance to put thoughts on paper and her difficulty communicating confidently in social or classroom settings were impacting both her learning and her interactions with peers.

Through Telehealth Speech Therapy sessions, Molly has shown clear and meaningful progress. She has improved her ability to use past tense forms in speech, a key developmental milestone for expressive language. Her communication with both peers and school staff has also strengthened since commencing therapy.

In the classroom, Molly has begun to use conjunctions in her writing and is becoming more independent in applying them in her everyday language. This increased confidence and skill development has supported her participation in learning tasks and helped her engage more comfortably in social settings.

The improvements Molly has made highlight the value of Telehealth in delivering consistent, accessible support for regional students with communication needs.

Nickie Long Kiu Yu - UQ Audiology Student 2026

During my five‑day audiology screening trip—which included visits to Goondir Health Services and several school-based screening sites I gained valuable clinical and professional experience in both paediatric and rural audiology practice. This placement exposed me to a wide range of situations and skill sets that I had not previously encountered, making it an important step in my clinical development.

One of the key challenges I faced was managing children who were inattentive or responded inconsistently during the hearing screening tasks. Through this experience, I learnt the importance of adjusting my communication style and behavioural strategies to meet each child's developmental level. For example, instead of asking a child to simply press a response button when they heard the tone, I found that encouraging them to "clap as big as they could" made the task more fun and interactive. This not only improved engagement but also increased the reliability of their responses. I also strengthened my ability to use simple, age-appropriate language and to provide positive reinforcement—skills that helped me build rapport quickly and effectively.

Beyond the clinical aspects, this outreach trip enhanced my understanding of the significance of early identification of hearing difficulties, especially in rural communities where access to audiological services can be limited. Seeing the direct impact of these screenings reinforced how crucial timely assessment is for children's communication and educational outcomes.

Overall, I am extremely grateful to have participated in this outreach experience. It was both enriching and rewarding, and it significantly strengthened my clinical competence, adaptability, and confidence. I sincerely hope to have more opportunities like this in the future.

Mingyan Du (Ray) - UQ Audiology Student 2025

This audiology screening trip has been an incredibly enriching experience, both professionally and personally. One of the highlights was visiting Goondir Health, an Indigenous health service, where I had the opportunity to work with First Nations people for the first time. Before this trip, I felt nervous about whether I could communicate appropriately and respectfully, but everyone was so warm and welcoming that I immediately felt at ease. It was a truly safe and comfortable environment to work in, and I am grateful for the opportunity to engage with the community firsthand rather than solely through lectures.

The most valuable learning experience came from conducting four days of school hearing screenings. I worked with children of diverse personalities - some shy or nervous, others energetic or easily distracted. This experience helped me develop strategies to adapt my approach, engage with children effectively, and adjust testing techniques to accommodate different needs. It was a challenge, but one that ultimately made me more confident and capable as a future audiologist.

Beyond the clinical work, the experience of traveling between regional towns was incredible. Along the way, we were lucky enough to see a wild dingo and a kangaroo crossing the road, something I had never seen outside of a zoo!