Health Etowns

[Music plays] (Narrator) Living in the territory is fantastic, but it’s not without its complications. It is difficult to attract doctors and specialists and our staff have to travel vast distances in order to receive their mandatory training in urban areas. Some of the patients also have to travel long distances over treacherous roads, or by air, leaving their families and communities, in order to visit with a specialist for what could be a 10 minute appointment. Through the Health eTowns program we have implemented the TelehealthNT network which consists of Internet Protocol cameras to provide support when dealing with an urgent case. These units are quick, simple and safe to use and provide a one-way video feed from the clinic to the consulting medical officer wherever they may be based, at home or in the office. Using a web based application, the doctor can see both the nurse and patient through the IP camera. The nurse uses an earpiece to talk to the doctor to discuss the clinical details. Using this technology, the nurse can also view the patients’ injury, even though they are based in different locations. (Margaret Brennan) It's not uncommon for people to travel regularly between communities and the Territory, and these technologies allow us to ensure that our patients receive continuity of care, whenever and wherever they might be treated. (Narrator) The telehealth network also comprises of high definition Medi-carts, these are portable video conferencing units that facilitate a two way consultation process between clinicians and patients. (Alison Mustapha) Hi Charlie, nice to meet you. My name is Alison, I'm the burns nurse here at the Royal Darwin Hospital. (Narrator) These units also have functionality to allow for additional devices that can transmit digital images electronically, such as an auriscope, endoscope, dermascope and ophthalmology cameras. This technology allows for virtual clinics such as burns, pre admissions, post-surgical review, hearing health and mental health clinics to be conducted within the community and negate the need for either clinician or patient to travel and receive care. (Alison Mustapha) I'm excited about this new technology As a burns nurse, it's really good for me to see the burn not just hear about it. I'm able to give a much more accurate diagnosis and also support the staff out at the communities in the dressings and the treatment I'm sure that the patients really appreciate the fact that they don't have to come all the way in to the hospital to get the good treatment for their burn injury. (Narrator) The final supporting technology of the telehealth network is the software based video conferencing tools. This technology can be used to deliver clinical consultations or to deliver eLearning sessions. Clinicians and departmental staff can now participate in training sessions through online courses and electronic classrooms. With the introduction of MyLearning online portal and eLearning applications, it is easy to create structured online courses that can be viewed from all over the Territory. This is allowing us to offer much needed training to remote health staff, all at the click of a mouse. (Giselle Smith) The training courses are easy to access They offer the training that I need, without having to travel into the major city centres. (Vera Whitehouse) We have more than 80 remote and regional health centres with over 5000 staff, spread right across the NT. eLearning technology has provided us with tools to deliver self-paced training to all our staff, 24 hours a day, no matter where they're located. So it has certainly made a major difference to our remote based staff. (Narrator) TeleHealth has now been implemented into our urban and regional hospitals and seventeen of the Territories growth towns. The uptake of TeleHealth accross the Northern Territory has been so successful, that the project has expanded into a further 30+ communities and the Kimberley in Western Australia. (Paul Bauert) I'm Paul Bauert, and I'm Director of Paediatrics at the Royal Darwin Hospital. I also do visits to Katherine Hospital on a regular basis and visit communities on a regular basis. We've had the opportunity to use the IP camera at Katherine Hospital and found this equipment really helpful in assisting with the resuscitation of two newborn babies. We were able to dial up the IP camera in the resuscitation area at Katherine Hospital and through focusing the camera on the baby and the mask, and the Neopuff equipment, that the doctors and nurses were using there, we were able to get them to adjust the position of the mask, we were able to get them to adjust their pressures on the ventilator settings, and were able to guide them to have a lot more efficient resuscitation. So I think that assistance that we were able to offer as a direct result of the IP cameras is really life saving at times and it will assist in preparing for my various clinics in the remote areas by being able to speak with the staff before arrival, and I think it has the potential to change the way that we do a lot of our practice in the area of Paediatrics. I'm really looking forward to changing my practice because of this equipment, in future years. (Bilawara Lee) Hello, my name is Bilawara Lee I'm an elder of the Larrakia Nation I'm also the elder on campus for the NT Medical Program. I want to congratulate the Department of Health on their Health eTowns Project, which can only bring great benefits to our communities I've always been concerned about our elders dying young and not being able to pass on their knowledge and maintain cultural maintenance for the young ones. So, knowing that aboriginal people in the Territory suffer a lot of illness, and have problems accessing services having these services and the facilities in the remote communities, can only be of great benefit to the people, so thank you�