The 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 The purpose of this study was to review the performance of the telehealth pre-operative 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 provided at Mater Hospital Brisbane. Results During a one-year period, 229 patients across 8 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 kilometers from Brisbane. Of the 229 patients included in the study, 7 (3.1%) experienced last-minute cancellations. From this 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 Program 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.