Here’s another initiative that confirms that our hospitals and doctors are embracing the digital world in order to provide better health care to patients.
State of the art telehealth facilities have opened in Campbelltown, Liverpool and Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospitals, improving patient care through better collaboration.
South Western Sydney Local Health District (SWSLHD) chief executive Amanda Larkin said the $700,000 project integrates the latest digital imaging, information technologies and videoconferencing facilities.
“Bringing clinical minds together to determine the best way to care for a patient is so invaluable,” Ms Larkin said.
“This is giving us real time access to imaging and diagnostic information and allows us to connect to eHealth NSW’s state wide video conferencing system.
“A video call is all it takes to connect across our geographically dispersed region and beyond to see the full patient story at once, allowing better informed decision-making.”
Up to 50 multidisciplinary meetings are held each week, focussing on a wide spectrum of conditions ranging from trauma, stroke, cardiac, lung, liver and cancer, to ensure timely, patient centred care is delivered by the right experts.
The room is fitted with state-of-the art, multiple touch LCD screens, ceiling-mounted cameras and multi-directional microphones integrated with the latest digital information and communication technologies, including scans and a digital microscope.
SWSLHD medical imaging director Dr Peter Lin said a short break in theatres could allow a surgeon to connect into a meeting to view imaging results and pathology samples.
“There is often a radiologist in the room, a nuclear medicine physician, surgical, medical, imaging, staff specialists, pathology and allied health workers working together to treat each and every patient individually.”
NSW Health chief information officer and eHealth NSW chief executive Dr Zoran Bolevich said: “this facility is a shining example of how state wide video conferencing and networking solutions eHealth NSW delivers are improving patient care.
“We can bring anyone in from anywhere in the world via video conference,” he said.
