Assisted Reality making a difference in TeleChemotherapy

WA Country Health Service (WACHS) is using assisted Reality (aR) technology to enhance virtual visibility for nurses treating cancer patients in Karratha and Broome.

This Telehealth and Virtual Care Awareness Week (21-25 October) WA Country Health Service is highlighting the stories, successes and innovations that have enhanced delivery of care to country communities.

Chief Executive Jeff Moffet said WA Country Health Service is committed to delivering new and emerging innovations to the bush.

“At WA Country Health Service, our service area spans over 2.55 million square kilometres – and our healthcare delivery requires new and innovative approaches that go the distance,” Mr Moffet said.

“By harnessing virtual technology, we’re able to bring specialist services to the frontline – allowing us to support our staff and reduce the need for patients to travel to the metropolitan area.

“We know that when patients remain close to home and their support networks, they’re likely to recover quicker and have better health outcomes,” he added.

WA Country Health Service’s award-winning TeleChemotherapy Service has implemented aR as an innovative solution for nurses to use with patients during cancer treatment at the Karratha and Broome TeleChemotherapy Services.

The voice activated aR device is worn like a headband with a built-in camera that allows the wearer to live-stream audio visual of what they’re seeing to a specialist clinician in another location.

While patient assessments are often done using a fixed videoconferencing device, the aR technology allows virtual specialist clinicians to have improved visualisation of patients and offer better support to colleagues on the ground.

The on-site TeleChemotherapy nurses wear the aR device during the ‘time out’ procedure – which is a routine medicine check at the patient bedside prior to administering cancer treatment. It provides the virtual specialist cancer nurse with real-time, first-person visibility of the clinical procedure.

By harnessing virtual technology, the service assists patients to receive low-risk cancer treatments closer to home with the support of specialist clinicians via telehealth.

The aR technology was piloted at both sites through a six-month proof of concept. During that time, the technology assisted in more than 50 instances of patient care.

As well as having a positive impact on the patient journey, Karratha TeleChemotherapy Nurse Tracy Hunter said it is improving efficiency in cancer care delivery for clinicians on-the-ground and on-screen.

“Cancer treatment can be a challenging process for patients,” she said.

“But it’s helpful for us nurses knowing that technological improvements like this can help them to provide patients with great care closer to home.”

The introduction of aR is another way WA Country Health Service is harnessing virtual technology to meet the needs of country patients and deliver high-quality care close to home.

In 2023-24, WA Country Health Service supported more than 37,000 outpatient appointments via telehealth and saved patients thousands of kilometres of travel.

Findings from the pilot are currently being evaluated which will help to inform implementation and future use.