A wave of digital innovation is helping regional Queensland patients receive world-class care regardless of where they live.
Mater Private Hospital Townsville has launched two digital programs which are improving the treatment of patients needing hip and knee surgery and those recovering from heart conditions or surgery.
Specialists based at Mater's South Brisbane health campus are also reaching out to the regions through a new online platform that gives expert support to regional and rural GPs dealing with challenging cases.
With a network of 11 not-for-profit hospitals across the state, Mater has a special interest in enhancing patient care in regional areas according to Mater Private Hospital Townsville Acting General Manager Anna Olson.
"Mater believes every patient has the right to receive world-class healthcare, whether they live in Brisbane or the bush," Ms Olson said.
"New technology is making that aim a reality. It's having a transformative impact by bringing expert care and support straight into the homes of patients."
The MAJR Program (Mater Accelerated Joint Replacement) gives patients requiring hip or knee replacements access to their own "digi-coach" app via a smartphone.
The app provides patients with key information before surgery and issues personalised reminders regarding exercise, rest and medication in the days and weeks after their procedure.
Patients on the program can be discharged within 24 hours of surgery and the response from users has been overwhelmingly positive, according to orthopaedic surgeon Dr James Price.
"The MAJR program is very beneficial in that it gives patient's excellent preoperative education about the process of having a joint replacement," Dr Price said.
"It tends to allay a lot of anxiety around surgery and allows the patient to concentrate on their recovery."
The Cardihab program allows people to receive cardiac rehabilitation services in their own homes for six weeks after undergoing heart surgery at Mater Private Hospital Townsville.
Mater Private Hospital Townsville Allied Health Manager Gabrielle Dockray said the pilot initiative had been expanded to patients across central, western and northern Queensland thanks to $250,000 of Advance Queensland funding.
"Cardiac rehabilitation continues for six weeks after a patient is discharged, with remote sessions run twice a week with a clinician," Ms Dockray said.
"For these sessions to be completed in the patient's home rather than requiring them to drive to Townsville and back is a significant benefit."
The eConsultant program is also benefitting patients across regional Queensland by allowing GPs to access advice from a range of Brisbane-based Mater specialists in areas such as neurology, infectious diseases and obstetric medicine.
An eConsult is not a formal referral, but instead a GP request for clinical advice which frequently eliminates the need for a subsequent specialist face-to-face outpatient consultation.
"Rural patients are an incredibly stoic group of people who don't like to leave the area, but they also have quite complex medical issues," said Dr Kasandra Kuhler, a Charleville-based GP.
"Having that direct link to specialists has really changed how quickly I can provide care to my patients."
Mater's Director of Obstetric Medicine Dr Jo Laurie said she and her colleagues were excited to be part of the program.
"From a fairness and health equity point of view, eConsultant is really important to ensuring people who live in regional and rural Queensland receive specialty care," Dr Laurie said.
Feature image: Mater Private Hospital Townsville rehabilitation physiologist Shaun Whiley and Smart Precinct NQ CEO Cassandra Cazzulino demonstrate the MAJR and Cardihab smartphone apps.
