A review of paediatric telehealth for pre- and post-operative surgical patients.
The Queensland Telepaediatric Service (QTS) was established in the year 2000 to deliver a broad range of paediatric specialist health services from the Royal Children's Hospital (RCH) in Brisbane, mainly via videoconference. During a 13-year study period, the QTS facilitated 18,949 video consultations, comprising Mental Health (42%), Medicine (30%), Surgery (21%) and Other (8%). We reviewed the surgical services provided through the QTS. There were 3880 video consultations with a paediatric surgeon. Most of these (91%) used fixed videoconferencing units, 8% were delivered via mobile units (robots) and 1% were delivered using Skype. Surgical consultations were provided by telehealth to 106 sites: 89% in Queensland and the rest to other states. The main surgical specialties were burns (50%), ear, nose and throat (19%), general surgery (21%), orthopaedics (9%) and vascular anomalies (2%). During a 12-month audit period, there were 224 teleconsultations in general surgery; the most common reason for referral was for undescended testes (17%). During the study period there was a significant growth in all surgical telehealth activity: linear regression showed an annual increase of 17 cases per year (P < 0.02). In the last four years of the study, there was a substantial growth in the general surgical component, although there was also a reduction in the burns component. Telehealth has potential for other specialist consultations which require periodic assessment and review.
Centre for Online Health, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia Queensland Children's Medical Research Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia asmith@uq.edu.au.
Anthony C
AC
Smith
Centre for Online Health, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
Lisa
L
Garner
Centre for Online Health, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
Liam J
LJ
Caffery
Queensland Children's Medical Research Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia Division of Surgery, Royal Children's Hospital, Children's Health Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
Craig A
CA
McBride
D002648:Child; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011184:Postoperative Period; D057234:Preoperative Period; D011793:Queensland; D012044:Regression Analysis; D019114:Remote Consultation / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013043:Specialties, Surgical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D049269:Videoconferencing