A new research initiative will examine the efficacy and sustainability of delivering virtual emergency services to remote Indigenous communities across Australia in a culturally sensitive way.
The project between Western Australia Country Health Service (WACHS), The University of Sydney (USYD), and the Digital Health Cooperative Research Centre (DHCRC), follows the successful pilot of virtual emergency services provided to a community of approximately 700–800 residents for over three years.
Our vision is this project will provide a framework for weighing up costs, benefits, and consequences, economic and non-economic, of implementing and extending virtual healthcare to additional communities across Australia in a culturally sensitive way
With the support of Aboriginal Medical Services (AMS), a number of communities are now seeking access to these virtual emergency services.
WACHS represents one of the largest areas covering 2.5 square million kilometres, serving over 500,000 residents, 11% of whom identify as Aboriginal.
WACHS Executive Director Strategy and Change, Melissa Vernon, said in serving these remote communities WACHS had seen first-hand the difference virtual care can make in delivering on critical unmet health needs.
“Technology provides a crucial link in delivering timely medical assessment and intervention; reducing the burden of travel, improving healthcare equity for Aboriginal populations, and has a significant social impact on health outcomes and overall well-being,” Ms Vernon said.
However, she said it is also important to understand the cost benefits “to ensure we are providing valuable and sustainable services”.
Preparing to Roll Out
The University of Sydney will undertake research to understand the economic costs, and service access benefits, of embedding the service into additional regional communities.
Local community members, consumers and AMS’s will be involved to ensure their input into the benefits, experience of using the service, and the cultural and social requirements.
“It is critical that accessible virtual healthcare services in these areas is both accurately costed and is appropriately adapted to the needs of Aboriginal communities,” said Sarah Norris, Associate Professor of Practice, Health Technology Assessment at The University of Sydney.
“Our vision is this project will provide a framework for weighing up costs, benefits, and consequences, economic and non-economic, of implementing and extending virtual healthcare to additional communities across Australia in a culturally sensitive way.”
“DHCRC has been a vocal advocate for equality and equity in accessing health care in remote communities,” DHCRC CEO Annette Schmiede said.
“The success of the WACHS virtual care program to date demonstrates the demand across remote and regional Australia and through this project, remote health service providers will have an opportunity to inform and tailor future virtual healthcare solutions for the communities which they are serving.”
