April 27, 2018
A Telehealth project which aims to improve the health of Cherbourg residents with chronic kidney disease has passed a significant milestone, with more than 50 patients being seen via the program.
Health Minister Steven Miles had a demonstration of the system while visiting Toowoomba Hospital on Friday.
The system has been operating since 2011 in a bid to encourage more Cherbourg residents to get specialist advice in the earlier stages of their disease.
In total, 55 patients have now been seen through the program since it was introduced.
“The Toowoomba renal team and local clinicians in Cherbourg identified that even though many local adults had chronic kidney disease (CKD), they weren’t able to access the best treatment for it,” Mr Miles said.
“The traditional approach of asking patients to come and see a renal specialist or attend a clinic in Toowoomba wasn’t working for a number of cultural and socio-economic reasons.
“Many people weren’t seeking treatment in the early stages and waited until the disease had severely affected their lives and they needed dialysis.
“By establishing renal specialist outreach clinics via Telehealth from Cherbourg, and combining the service with CKD nurse practitioner clinics on the ground, patients are now being seen earlier and more regularly.
“In fact, more than 70 per cent of patients are now seen in the earlier stages of their kidney disease, providing better opportunity for the renal team to slow down the disease progression.
“Other improvements have also included increased dialysis capacity and the provision of transport, meaning more patients can be treated locally, without the need to frequently travel to Toowoomba.”
Senior Staff Specialist and Consultant Nephrologist Dr Sree Krishna Venuthurupalli said almost one in five Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged over 18 had indicators of CKD.
“Even though Cherbourg has a relatively small adult population, CKD is a very significant health issue in that community,” Dr Venuthurupalli said.
“The trust built through this program has also had flow-on effects with specialist teams to treat other common conditions like diabetes and heart disease welcomed in the Cherbourg community.
“This provides more opportunities for integrated health care to improve the quality of life for local residents and make significant inroads to Closing the Gap in Cherbourg.”
