A/Prof Kate Burbury
“Everyone in Australia is entitled to the same expert cancer care, no matter where they live, or what their cancer is, or who they are.” Our haematologist A/Prof Kate Burbury explains how telehealth can help make this possible.
Carmel O'Kane
Wimmera Cancer Nurse Practitioner Carmel O'Kane calls on metropolitan clinicians to consider "Why NOT telehealth?" for country patients.
Telehealth can link local teams into ongoing treatment planning. Involving a regional Cancer Resource Nurse in telehealth consultations helps them to ensure they provide the same excellent care to our shared patients as we do.
This can be enormously beneficial to patients who can avoid travelling to us for some care that can be managed locally.
If you live in regional Victoria or Interstate and are being treated by us, ask our team or local health service if they can link in with us by telehealth to keep some of your care closer to home.
- Contacts - Wimmera Cancer Resource Nurses
- Map - Regional Victoria services that can support some cancer care closer to home
Kevin
Sitting in his utility vehicle in country Australia, Kevin can talk face-to-face with his doctor at Peter Mac in Melbourne using telehealth.
Kevin, a semi-retired rice farmer and wool classer, has been coming to us for the past nine years – meaning regular long trips into the city. But he has recently started using telehealth, a service that allows patients to connect with us by video from anywhere there is a computer, iPad, tablet, or smart phone with internet.
Working as a wool classer on remote sheep properties in the “back blocks of Australia,” Kevin would normally have to spend an entire day or more travelling to-and-from Melbourne.
“It saved me something like 3000km [about the distance from Melbourne to Adelaide] round trip, so instead of a 12 or 15-hour day I can do it in ten minutes on a video call from home.” Kevin says. “The convenience of it is amazing.”
Graham
When Graham and his partner Jenny had to cancel their round Australia trip yet again, their treating team at Peter Mac agreed to work with them to get them on the road regardless. Over the next six months, the team liaised closely with Jenny and health services throughout Australia to ensure Graham got the treatment he needed. Through regular blood tests, blood transfusions and telehealth consultations back to Melbourne, Graham and Jenny were able to continue with their life dream while still on active cancer treatment.
