Tele Oncology for Cancer Care in Rural Australia

Telemedicine for rural cancer care in North Queensland: Bringing cancer care home

“…19 Essentially, medical oncologists from Townsville provide their services to rural sites via videoconferencing using Tandberg 990 codecs (Polycom, Caifornia, USA) and Sony Bravia 32-inch LCD monitors (Sony, Tokyo, Japan). 19 Essentially, medical oncologists from Townsville provide their services to rural sites via videoconferencing using Tandberg 990 codecs (Polycom, Caifornia, USA) and Sony Bravia 32-inch LCD monitors (Sony, Tokyo, Japan).…”

Practical aspects of telehealth: financial considerations

“…In the medical oncology telehealth model between Townsville and Mt. Isa where acute care was provided through telehealth, the resulting reduction in interhospital transfers enhanced the savings to the health system in addition to routine telehealth care . Two recent articles in the October 2012 issue of the Internal Medicine Journal add utility to this.…”

Teleoncology for gynecologic cancers

“…In a review of medical oncology practices, 41-75% of patients expressed concern that the remote consultant was not able to perform an examination [15]. However, the authors suggest that observation of a physical exam by a local physician or nurse coupled with review of imaging studies was sufficient for treatment planning.…”

“…Teleoncology networks established through the University of Kansas Medical Center [14], the Townsville Cancer Center (Queensland, Australia) [15] and the University Hospital of North Norway [11] have pioneered the use of videoconferencing in oncology care. In some practices, the initial consultation is in person (at an outreach or central site), and subsequent interaction is via telemedicine.…”