The OutCare Foundation announced, last week, that telemedicine is now being used for palliative care throughout the Champlain region. Thanks to the success of its recent Telelink fundraising campaign, the foundation says more patients with a terminal illness can access the care they need.
Telelink uses the latest technology to connect 12 palliative care sites to the Ontario Telemedicine Network’s (OTN) secure videoconferencing network. High definition video-conferencing equipment makes it possible to bring teams hundreds of kilometers apart together for meetings and distance education. Used by over 1,600 healthcare sites across Ontario, this is the first time that hospices in our community are connecting to palliative care teams in acute care settings such as hospitals using this technology.
Nurses, doctors and others involved in palliative care can now discuss complex cases and conduct clinical consultations from a distance. They, along with their team of volunteers, can participate in up-to-date training on topics such as pain and symptom management, without the need to travel.
"Patients love it, particularly those who live far from Ottawa," says Dr. José Pereira, head of Palliative Care at The Ottawa Hospital and Bruyère Continuing Care. "It saves them driving to those hospitals for follow-up appointments, waiting for a long time to see the doctor for a short visit and then driving back home. Now they can visit the hospice or hospital in their community and connect with the palliative care specialist team remotely.”
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Catherine Kitts
Quelle/Source: Orléans Star, 29.08.2013
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