Six of the hubs are making life easier for patients in one local health district.
Murrumbidgee LHD is trialling a new telehealth program across six of its services in a bid to increase access to timely, high-quality healthcare closer to rural and remote homes.
The Virtual Hubs program provides a dedicated space for telehealth appointments at a local facility, fitted with appropriate equipment, including a large wall-mounted screen, high-quality camera, speaker, wireless mouse and keyboard, with local staff on hand to assist.
Andy Corrigan, MLHD’s clinical digital health manager, said Virtual Hubs were being trialled in Junee Multipurpose Service, Tumut Hospital, Hillston MPS, Lake Cargelligo MPS, Hay MPS and Deniliquin Hospital.
“The Virtual Hubs are allowing many more of our clients to access timely and high-quality health appointments close to home,” said Mr Corrigan.
“We have seen some patients save hours of travel using the Virtual Hubs, instead of having to drive to an appointment in person.”
Tameka-Lea King, an allied health assistant at Hillston MPS, said the Virtual Hub was making a significant difference to the local community.
“The feedback we have received from people who have used our Virtual Hub has been very positive,” she said.
“It’s great for people in our community who are living in a rural area, as it has made it easier and more cost effective to access important health appointments without needing to drive hours for a quick consult.”
If the trial is successful, MLHD will consider rolling out Virtual Hubs to other facilities across the district.
