Connecting residents via a telehealth cart

An aged care facility in Townsville has deployed a telehealth cart as a means of better connecting its residents with their families and healthcare providers.

The Good Shepherd Home is one of 36 North Queensland residential aged care homes (RACHs) using the new VisionFlex telehealth cart, which is funded by the Northern Australian Regional Digital Health Collaborative (NARDHC) and the Department of Health and Aged Care through the Northern Queensland Primary Health Network (NQPHN).

One of the home’s residents recently connected to a family member who lived remotely, as well as getting in touch with a GP for a care plan review and case conference — all via the new telehealth cart.

“It was so nice to see Mum and speak with her,” the family member said. “It was also nice to speak with the doctor in real time using telehealth videoconferencing. The audio and visual were very clear.”

The Good Shepherd Home CEO Brian Matthews is pleased with the cart and its impact.

“The telehealth cart is more than just a tool; it’s a bridge that is helping our residents maintain meaningful connections with their families,” Matthews said.

“It allows them to engage with their loved ones, whether they’re catching up socially or working together on important care plan reviews.

“It’s been especially helpful for family members and nominated representatives who do not live locally, so they can feel more involved and informed about their loved one’s health.”

Matthews said the telehealth approach meant family members and nominated representatives could join video consultations remotely.

“It’s working to break down barriers and ensure everyone can be involved in their loved one’s care. This is also making residents feel more at ease and supported. We believe the cart is enhancing residents’ access to essential health services, while creating precious family time.”

He said the cart had also improved referral and assessment times for residents, giving them access to GPs between site-scheduled visits. The facility was using the telehealth cart for things such as digital health assessments to provide information as part of a physical examination, such as skin care, or the assessment of wounds or vital signs.

“We believe there are many benefits to telehealth in RACHs in the future, including electronic medication charting, documenting and prescribing remotely, a reduction in transferrals to hospital and reducing pressure on the emergency department after hours, and access to other visiting allied health services and specialists,” Matthews said.

Telehealth carts support practitioners in accessing information and improving medication safety and prescribing.

They are easy to use and convenient for GPs, residential aged care home staff and residents, and include HD cameras, a full-size patient-facing monitor, high-performing computer equipment, and a range of USB peripherals for vital readings and patient monitoring.

Accessibility options such as live speech-to-text transcription and closed captioning are also included for patients with hearing and vision impairment.

Image caption: The Good Shepherd Home CEO Brian Matthews.