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Monday April 30^th

Clever Networks smart solutions for regional health care

The Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator Helen Coonan, today announced the second funding recipient under the first round of the Clever Networks program.

The Greater Western Area Health Service will use broadband connectivity, together with three advanced clinical systems, to improve patient care in rural and regional areas of New South Wales. This project has been developed in partnership with NSW Health.

It is proposed that $2 139 884 in funding will be provided by the Australian Government to the Greater Western Area Health Service, with matching funding from the NSW Government.  

The Greater Western Area Health Service (GWAHS) is the largest Area Health Service in New South Wales, covering more than 55 per cent of the state.

“The GWAHS Clinical Outreach Program project will upgrade broadband infrastructure in 31 public hospital and health sites to support the roll-out of innovative clinical applications,” Senator Coonan said.

“I am particularly pleased to see the innovative use of technology to bring doctors, other medical personnel and patients together in a way which will see benefits not only to individuals, but to regional Australia as a whole.”

Using broadband connectivity, the three systems will enable every clinician involved in a patient’s care (doctors, nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists etc) to have a full understanding of the patient’s complete care needs and medical history. This will help medical teams work effectively across all parts of the system and across geographic boundaries.

The new Mediview system will use broadband connections to allow remote assessment of patients across the Greater Western Region. This will allow an emergency patient in Broken Hill or Balranald to be assessed by an expert in Bathurst using remotely controlled cameras and two-way audio connections.

The Picture Archive and Communications System (PACS) will support scheduling of procedures for patients, and work in conjunction with the Radiology Information Systems (RIS). The RIS will allow immediate access to a patient’s radiology images from any health facility connected to the network or from any location via the Internet.

Remote reporting of medical images allows the radiologist to report on images without being physically at the hospital in which the image was generated. For example, a child in Bourke with a broken arm will be able to have an X-ray taken in their home town, and the diagnosis will be made by specialists in Orange, avoiding the need for extensive, time-consuming and potentially distressing travel.

The Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system supports applications including electronic ordering of tests, reporting of results, management of theatre schedules as well as discharge and referral systems. This system will provide a common backbone across a total of 188 hospitals throughout NSW by June 2009.

Clever Networks is a $113 million Australian Government program that will see smart solutions to improve delivery of services in regional, rural and remote Australia through innovative broadband projects.

Other successful projects to receive Clever Networks first round funding will include virtual healthcare, remotely accessible interactive education services, and delivery of integrated state-wide emergency services.

More information about specific projects will become available as each successful negotiation is concluded.