Telehealth for paediatric burn patients in rural areas: a retrospective audit of activity and cost savings

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Title

Burns

Publisher

Elsevier

School

School of Nursing and Midwifery / Centre for Innovative Practice

RAS ID

22138

Comments

McWilliams, T., Hendricks, J., Twigg, D., Wood, F., & Giles, M. (2016). Telehealth for paediatric burn patients in rural areas: a retrospective audit of activity and cost savings. Burns 42(7), 1487-1493. Available here

Abstract

Since 2005, the Western Australian paediatric burn unit has provided a state-wide clinical consultancy and support service for the assessment and management of acute and rehabilitative burn patients via its telehealth service. Since then, the use of this telehealth service has steadily increased as it has become imbedded in the model of care for paediatric burn patients. Primarily, the service involves acute and long term patient reviews conducted by the metropolitan-located burn unit in contact with health practitioners, advising patients and their families who reside outside the metropolitan area thereby avoiding unnecessary transfers and inpatient bed days. A further benefit of the paediatric burn service using telehealth is more efficient use of tertiary level burn unit beds, with only those patients meeting clinical criteria for admission being transferred.

DOI

10.1016/j.burns.2016.03.001

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