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Grandpa stays home with kids thanks to telehealth 25 June 2018 Carnarvon grandfather Colin Cook is a busy man – he has grandchildren to look after and a busy life to lead. He is also recovering from cancer, and after having to live in Perth for months to receive treatment, he is glad to be back at home looking after his family. It is a significant relief then that he doesn’t have to keep travelling back to Perth for his follow-up appointments, thanks to the technology of telehealth. Mr Cook said that using telehealth was very easy and low-stress. “Travelling to Perth is a lot of mucking about and every time you go you have to organise to pay for accommodation – you just don’t need that stress when you’re going through treatment,” he said. “My wife works and so I am busy looking after the grandkids.” Mr Cook visits Carnarvon Hospital and a local staff member connects him to his doctor onscreen, us... -
Ian keeps on trucking for specialist’s appointment 25 June 2018 When Ian Barlow sees his cancer specialist, he’s usually sitting in the cab of his road train. Telehealth is enabling the Esperance truckie, who has lymphoma cancer, to have most of his regular check-ups with his specialist on his smartphone parked at the side of the road during his compulsory fatigue break. Doing it this way, he avoids a visit to Esperance Hospital for a 5 to 10-minute telehealth appointment which will take three hours out of his working day with travel and waiting time – and the loss of income from time off work. He couldn’t be happier. “I think it’s awesome – wherever I can get mobile service, I can make the call,” the 49-year-old father-of-three said. “I don’t have to knock off work for three hours, I don’t have to park my truck up, I just pull over and call up.” Healthcare delivered closer to home is ... -
Kate 'rapt' in telehealth stroke treatment 25 June 2018 Bunbury’s Kate Haddrill might not remember a lot about the day she suffered a stroke apart from falling twice while making the bed and going to Perth in a helicopter. But she is quite clear about how grateful she is that local doctors had access to telehealth to enable fast access to treatment which reduced the stroke’s impact. “I wouldn’t be as good as I am today, I’m sure of that,” she said. Healthcare delivered closer to home is under the spotlight this week as part of Telehealth Awareness Week, 25–29 June. The week has been organised by the WA Country Health Service (WACHS) and its service partners to highlight that healthcare delivered by telehealth is now widely available to country patients, without the stress and cost of travel. After St John Ambulance officers alerted Bunbury Regional Hospital of Kate’s suspected stroke, Emergency ... -
Sandie's life is easier with telehealth 25 June 2018 Sandie Smith’s life is constantly interrupted with medical issues and specialist appointments, because she lives with cystic fibrosis (CF). Since her diagnosis 12 years ago, the Albany mum has had constant trips to Perth to see medical specialists, but in recent years her life has become easier thanks to the availability of telehealth. The week has been organised by the WA Country Health Service and its service partners to highlight that healthcare appointments delivered by telehealth are now widely available to country patients, without the stress and cost of travel. In years gone by, Sandie would regularly have to take several days off work and spend days organising paperwork in order to see her specialist team in Perth – but now she uses her lunch break to pop into Albany Health Campus where she holds a videoconference with the Adult Cystic Fibrosis Service at Sir Charles ... -
Telehealth allows Fred to do rehab from the mines 25 June 2018 Despite being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease five years ago, Fred Sellars has only recently been able to take part in regular rehabilitation and support classes. His location on a minesite 30km from Laverton meant driving the nine-hour round trip to Kalgoorlie each week was just too taxing on him and his wife, Wendy. That was before Kalgoorlie Health Campus started offering therapy by telehealth. A short time ago his GP in Kalgoorlie let him know a weekly Parkinson’s support group was starting up at the hospital. Allied Health staff at the hospital then told him he would be able to attend the group as well as regular physio, speech and occupational therapy sessions by telehealth. Healthcare delivered closer to home is under the spotlight this week as part of Telehealth Awareness Week, 25–29 June. The week has been organised by the WA Country Health Service and its s...
Last Updated:
24/01/2024