NSW NBN Telehealth to the Home Trial
Funded under the Digital Regions Initiative National Partnership Agreement.
Funding recipient
Organisation: NSW Health
Project partners
Hunter New England Local Health District, Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District and Illawarra Shoalhaven Medicare Local
Project overview and objectives
The trial will take advantage of the National Broadband Network to deliver high-quality in-home health services to improve the health outcomes of older Australians with chronic conditions (such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, congestive heart failure and coronary artery disease) who live in Armidale and Kiama.
The services expected under the trial include:
- home-based remote monitoring by a care coordinator
- remote clinical consultation and case conferencing
- patient care coordination via videoconferencing
- video-based group education for patients and carers
- preventative care through information and coaching on healthy living.
Participants in the trial will include Armidale and Kiama residents who are eligible to receive treatment through the Connecting Care Program. This includes people with one or more of five chronic conditions who are at high or very high risk of hospitalisation.
The trial will also improve access to mental health services for young people in the Kiama district. This includes:
- initial assessment via a web-based portal and development of an early treatment plan
- client triage
- home-based or school-based videoconferencing
- case conferencing.
This broadband-enabled access to appropriate health and mental care means that patients will no longer have to regularly travel long distances to access their health professionals. Patients can remain in the community and have access to the same level of care that those in major centres experience.
Through increased support for both patients and their carers, the trial will improve the quality of life of chronic disease sufferers and young people with mental health problems, and assist health professionals to provide more efficient, high-quality care for individuals wherever they live.
A comprehensive evaluation of the impacts and outcomes of the trial will inform how telehealth could become a mainstream form of health service delivery for Australians with chronic and mental health conditions.
Funding | |
|---|---|
| Australian Government | $4 000 000 (excluding GST) |
| Other contributions (includes cash and in-kind) | $4 061 626 (excluding GST) |
| Total | $8 061 626 (excluding GST) |
