Role of telehealth in perioperative medicine for regional and rural patients in Queensland

Background: Australians living in regional, rural and remote areas face a myriad of complexities resulting in a trend to poorer health outcomes. Telehealth is being utilised as an alternative mode of service delivery to overcome such barriers. However, there is limited published information concerning the use of telehealth in perioperative medicine. Aims: To review the performance of the telehealth preoperative assessment service at Mater Hospital Brisbane to determine last-minute cancellation rates secondary to medical reasons. Methods: A retrospective chart audit of all patients referred to perioperative medicine telehealth consultation services was provided at Mater Hospital Brisbane. Results: During a 1-year period, 229 patients across eight surgical subspecialties were referred for telehealth assessment (85 females, 144 males) with a median age of 67 years. Patients lived a median distance of 1597 km from Brisbane. Of the 229 patients included in the study, 7 (3.1%) experienced last-minute cancellations. From these data, the last-minute cancellation rate due to medical reasons was 1.3%, which is consistent with the international average. Conclusion: The Mater Hospital Perioperative Medicine Telehealth Programme is a means of providing comprehensive perioperative assessment to regional, rural and remote patients that result in reduced last-minute surgical cancellations and surgery within or below the national recommended guidelines.