Introduction

To meet the health needs of the growing community now

and into the future it was recognized that better partnership

with rural sites within the West Moreton Hospital and

Health Service was required. The use of telehealth

technology could improve the cardiac rehabilitation journey

for rural clients.

• Bringing Cardiac Rehabilitation care closer to home.

• Improving access and equity in cardiac

rehabilitation care.

▪ Supporting cardiac rehabilitation clinicians in rural

sites.

▪ Links to the West Morton Health Service strategic

plan 2017-2021.

• comm

Feedback

Our cardiac rehab clients at Gatton Health Service have the advantage of being able to access education and program

intake interviews via telehealth. The benefits of this service include easy access for the client as parking is free and

close to the hospital, and they only have to travel locally instead of a 45-minute trip into Ipswich with difficult/costly parking.

(P. Jamieson, Gatton Clinical Nurse).

It was good to talk to someone after my heart attack and it was easy to attend my telehealth appointment at the local

Laidley hospital. The telehealth appointment meant I didn’t have to travel into Ipswich and saved on cost of petrel and

parking. I found the information provided during my telehealth appointment helpful (D. Buckley, Laidley Cardiac

Rehabilitation Client).

Implementation

Round table meetings with clinicians from Ipswich,

Boonah, Esk, Gatton and Laidley to support evidence

based care in a changing technological environment.

• Work with partners and community to improve health

outcomes for the rural populations.

• Identified staff training needs.

• Shared information on new processes such as the

integrated electronic medical record and Queensland

Cardiac Outcomes Registry.

• Identifying and supporting local ownership of rural

cardiac rehabilitation programs.

Positive Outcomes

• Has brought cardiac rehabilitation closer to

home.

• Increased options for access to all aspects of

cardiac rehabilitation for the client.

• Ensuring evidence based care across the West

Morton Hospital and Health Service

• Decreased travel time for the client.

• Positive partnerships formed with rural sites.

Limitations

• Not all rural sites participate in group education

by telehealth.

• Identified improvement required in retrieving

discharge data from rural sites.

• Limited flexibility of scheduled telehealth

appointments.

• Audio/video quality and network difficulty's.

References

Ipswich Cardiac Rehabilitation, 2019, Shared Electronic Calendar and appointment Record, Viewed 19 June 2019, Queensland Health.

Queensland Health 2019, Hospital and health strategic plans, Queensland Government, viewed 5 July 2019, https://www.health.qld.gov.au/system-

governance/strategic-direction/plans/hhs-plan.

Queensland Health, 2019, West Moreton Hospital and Health Service Map, viewed 19 June 2019,

https://www.health.qld.gov.au/maps/mapto/wmoreton.

Queensland Health 2019, West Morton Health Services, viewed 2 July 2019, https://www.westmoreton.health.qld.gov.au/about-us

West Morton Health, Hospital and centres, Queensland Government 2019,viewed 6 July 2019, https://www.westmoreton.health.qld.gov.au/hospitals-

and-centres.

Conclusion

Telehealth has been successfully integrated into the

Cardiac Rehabilitation Service within the West

Morton Hospital and Health Service. Telehealth has

allowed clients in rural sites to have increased

access to cardiac rehabilitation within their local

community. Telehealth is being increasing used to

meet the needs of cardiac clients in the growing

community.

Connecting Rural Cardiac Rehabilitation Sites With Telehealth

West Morton Hospital and Health Service Map, 2019

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Boonah Esk Gatton Laidley

Rural Telehealth Appointments

2004-2005 2018-2019

Rural Site Distance From

Ipswich

Travel Time From

Ipswich

Boonah 48km South 39 mins

Esk 64km North-West 52 mins

Gatton 55km West 43 mins

Laidley 45km West 39 mins

The Ipswich Cardiac Rehabilitation TeamAlisha Allan, AEP,

Steve Bartlett, AEP

Shaun Edwards, AEP

Patricia Jamieson, CN

Jeslymol Jacob, CN

Kate Kovacs, AO

Sarah Parker, CN

Madonna Prenzler, NUM

Robyn Williams, CN

Stephen Woodruffe, AEP

West Morton Health Strategic Plan 2017-21 (updated 2018)

Phone Calls Video Calls

West Moreton Health Services, 2019

Introduction

To meet the health needs of the growing community

now and into the future it was recognized that better

partnership with rural sites within the West Moreton

Hospital and Health Service was required. The use of

telehealth technology could improve the cardiac

rehabilitation journey for rural clients.

• Bringing Cardiac Rehabilitation care closer to

home.

• Improving access and equity in cardiac

rehabilitation care.

▪ Supporting cardiac rehabilitation clinicians in

rural sites.

▪ Link to the West Morton Health Service strategic

plan 2017-2021.

• comm

Feedback

Our cardiac rehab clients at Gatton Health Service have the advantage of being able to access education and program

intake interviews via telehealth. The benefits of this service include easy access for the client as parking is free and

close to the hospital, and they only have to travel locally instead of a 45-minute trip into Ipswich with difficult/costly parking.

(P Jamieson 2019, pers. Comm., 1 July).

It was good to talk to someone after my heart attack and it was easy to attend my telehealth appointment at the local

Laidley hospital. The telehealth appointment meant I didn’t have to travel into Ipswich and saved on cost of petrel and

parking. I found the information provided during my telehealth appointment helpful (Dennis Buckley, Laidley cardiac

rehabilitation client).

Implementation

Round table meetings with clinicians from Ipswich,

Boonah, Esk, Gatton and Laidley to support

evidence based care in a changing technological

environment.

• Work with partners and community to improve

health outcomes for the rural populations.

• Identified staff training needs.

• Shared information on new processes such as the

integrated electronic medical record and

Queensland Cardiac Outcomes Registry.

• Identifying and supporting local ownership of rural

cardiac rehabilitation programs.

Positive Outcomes

• Has brought cardiac rehabilitation closer to

home.

• Increased options for access to all aspects of

cardiac rehabilitation for the client.

• Ensuring evidence based care across the West

Morton Hospital and Health Service

• Decreased travel time for the client.

• Positive partnerships formed with rural sites.

Limitations

• Not all rural sites participate in group education

by telehealth.

• Identified improvement required in retrieving

discharge data from rural sites.

• Limited flexibility of scheduled telehealth

appointments.

• Audio/video quality and network difficulty's.

References

Ipswich Cardiac Rehabilitation, 2019, Shared Electronic Calendar and appointment Record, Viewed 19 June 2019, Queensland Health.

Queensland Health, 2019, West Moreton Hospital and Health Service Map, viewed 19 June 2019,

https://www.health.qld.gov.au/maps/mapto/wmoreton.

Queensland Health 2019, West Morton Health Services, viewed 2 July 2019, https://www.westmoreton.health.qld.gov.au/about-us

Queensland Health 2019, Hospital and health strategic plans, Queensland Government, viewed 5 July 2019,

https://www.health.qld.gov.au/system-governance/strategic-direction/plans/hhs-plan.

West Morton Health, Hospital and centres, Queensland Government 2019,viewed 6 July 2019,

https://www.westmoreton.health.qld.gov.au/hospitals-and-centres.

Conclusion

Telehealth has been successfully integrated into the

Cardiac Rehabilitation Service within the West

Morton Hospital and Health Service. Telehealth has

allowed clients in rural sites to have increased

access to cardiac rehabilitation within their local

community.

Telehealth; Partnering With Rural Cardiac Rehabilitation Sites

West Morton Hospital and Health Service Map, 2019

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Boonah Esk Gatton Laidley

Rural Telehealth Appointments

2004-2005 2018-2019Phone Calls Video Calls

Rural Site Distance From

Ipswich

Travel Time From

Ipswich

Boonah 48km South 39 mins

Esk 64km North-West 52 mins

Gatton 55km West 43 mins

Laidley 45km West 39 mins

The Ipswich Cardiac Rehabilitation Team

Alisha Allan, AEP

Steven Bartlett, AEP

Shawn Edwards, AEP

Jess Jycobs, CN

Kate Knovak, AO

Sarah Parker, CN

Madonna Prenzler, NUM

Robyn Williams, CN

Steven Woodruffe, AEP

West Morton Health Strategic Plan 2017-21 (updated 2018)

Public hospitalPrivate hospital Other CR Service

CardiologistGeneral

PractitionerSelf (patient)

Triage completed centrally at Ipswich CRS

Assessment via

telehealth

On-site assessment

at Ipswich CR

Assessment via

home visit

Telephone/Telehealth

based follow-up

(education)

Ongoing home visits

CR exercise and

education program

(Ipswich & Rural sites)

Other e.g. Community based exercise groups/gyms

Continue Independently