Armidale residents will be among the first in Australia to receive access to a new type of health care that uses the National Broadband Network (NBN) to improve clinical outcomes, according to the Independent Member for New England, Tony Windsor.
More than $20 million in federal funding will be available from July 1 to help organisations deliver advanced telehealth services to cancer patients and those requiring aged or palliative care in NBN early-release sites.
Mr Windsor believes the NBN Enabled Telehealth Pilots Program presents a great opportunity for both local health care organisations and the patients they serve.
“This federal funding will give patients real-time access to high-quality health care from their own home, which could include remote monitoring of vital health indicators, high-definition video consultations, and healthy living support.
“While telehealth services are already underway in some parts of Australia, this program will use the increased reliability and capability of the NBN to deliver a much higher standard of care.
“The program focuses on cancer, aged or palliative care patients because they often have difficulty accessing the complex and co-ordinated care they need – therefore, they also have the most to gain from advanced telehealth services.
“Preventing delays in accessing specialist care and reducing the need for long-distance travel will improve health outcomes, particularly for patients in rural and regional areas.
“Better patient health means delaying the transition to residential aged care facilities and reducing emergency department visits and hospitalisations,” Mr Windsor said.
The Department of Health and Ageing has released Draft Funding Guidelines for the NBN Enabled Telehealth Pilots Program for public comment, with applications for funding to open in March. Mr Windsor is encouraging local service providers to take a look at the guidelines.
“Funding would cover staff and administrative costs and provide local organisations with new equipment such as computers or tablet devices.
“Applications must demonstrate that projects are capable of being scaled-up and rolled-out around Australia.
“This is a real opportunity for local providers to take advantage of the early arrival of the NBN in Armidale to develop their capabilities ahead of the rest of the country.
“Advanced telehealth services are just one of the ways in which high-speed broadband will transform life for country people,” Mr Windsor concluded.
Detailed information about the Draft Funding Guidelines can be found at: http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/ehealth-nbntelehealth-pilots.
