A North Queensland general practice on the Atherton Tablelands will create a dedicated conference room for patients to use its telehealth facilities to speak with specialists.
It’s just one of the ways Eacham Medical Centre is becoming a more digitally enhanced general practice to make access to patient care easier and timelier.
And practice manager Rhodesia Karalis said the team is delighted to offer local residents this service.
Eacham Medical Centre will implement the dedicated room for telehealth consultations, while providing access to a practice GP or nurse if needed, among other digital upgrades as a successful applicant of the Northern Queensland Primary Health Network (NQPHN) Digital Capability Grant.
“The grant will allow our patients to connect more effectively with the services needed to benefit their health care journey,” Ms Karalis said.
“It’s really exciting to be able to provide our patients with better resources, and ultimately deliver the best care available.
“By providing a dedicated room set up with the necessary equipment for telehealth consultations, our patients can be connected with their chosen specialist, whatever the distance.
“We will put the grant funding towards purchasing updated equipment such as a computer, camera, and microphone for the telehealth consultation room for patients.”
Ms Karalis said the NQPHN Digital Capability Grant would enable the practice to connect with patients more effectively and provide better health care to those living rurally and remotely.
“We want to ensure we have the facilities to provide and assist our patients, while also allowing our practice to grow and change with new technology,” she said.
To enhance its digital capabilities further, Ms Karalis said Eacham Medical Centre would also upgrade other technology in the future.
“We intend to purchase new ophthalmoscopes and otoscopes, which will help our GPs stay up to date with capturing and sharing images with other health professionals, enabling better chronic disease management,” she said.
“We will also endeavour to expand our website to improve patient experience and to incorporate online bookings.
“This is extremely important as a practice where our patients are rural and remote and will help us provide better care.
“We’re very keen to level out our playing field when it comes to the types of technology we use and are grateful to be given the opportunity to do this. Thanks, NQPHN!”
The NQPHN Digital Capability Grants Program aims to help primary care providers in the NQPHN region grow and develop a seamless digital health care service for their patients.
Each NQPHN Digital Capability Grant (phase 1) is $1,000, and grant applications are accepted per business/organisation, not per individual provider.
The NQPHN Digital Capability Grant (phase 2) is open now. More information can be found here.
