Browsing by Author "Williams, Michael"
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- ItemA comparison of telepaediatric activity at two regional hospitals in Queensland.(2003-03-28) Smith, Anthony C; Williams, Michael; Van Der Westhuyzen, Jasper; McCrossin, Robert; Isles, Alan; Wootton, RichardWe conducted a 15 month feasibility study of telepaediatrics A novel service was offered to two hospitals in Queensland Mackay and Hervey Bay We used data from all other hospitals throughout the state as the control group Although both intervention hospitals were provided with the same service the telepaediatric activity generated and the effect on admissions and outpatient activity were markedly different There was a significant decrease in the number of patient admissions to Brisbane from the Mackay region In addition there was an increase in the number of Mackay patients treated locally as outpatients In contrast little change was observed in Hervey Bay We assessed whether the observed differences between the two hospitals were due to various factors which influenced the use of the telepaediatric service These factors included the method of screening patients before transfer to the tertiary centre and the physical distance between each facility and the tertiary centre We believe that the screening method used for patient referrals was the most important determinant of the use of the telepaediatric service
- ItemThe family costs of attending hospital outpatient appointments via videoconference and in person.(2004-01-19) Smith, Anthony C; Youngberry, Karen; Christie, Fiona; Isles, Alan; McCrossin, Robert; Williams, Michael; Van Der Westhuyzen, Jasper; Wootton, RichardWe compared the costs incurred by families attending outpatient appointments at the Royal Children s Hospital RCH in Brisbane with those incurred by families who had a consultation via videoconference in their regional area In each category 200 families were interviewed The median time spent travelling for videoconferences was 30 min compared with 80 min for face to face appointments Families interviewed in the outpatient department had travelled a median distance of 70 km while those who had a videoconference at the local hospital had travelled only 20 km It cost these families much more to attend an appointment at the RCH than to attend a videoconference Ninety six per cent of families 193 reported at least one of the following types of expense 150 families had expenses related to parking median A 10 dollars 156 had fuel expenses median A 10 dollars and 122 reported costs related to meals purchased at the RCH median A 10 dollars Only 21 families who had their appointment via local videoconference reported any additional costs Specialist appointments via videoconference were a more convenient and cheaper option for families living in regional areas of Queensland than the conventional method of attending outpatient appointments at the specialist hospital in Brisbane
- ItemThe multidisciplinary management of a paediatric cardiac emergency.(2002-04-25) Smith, Anthony C; Williams, Michael; Justo, Robert
- ItemPaediatric telecardiology services in Queensland: a review of three years' experience.(2004-12-17) Justo, Robert; Smith, Anthony C; Williams, Michael; Van Der Westhuyzen, Jasper; Murray, John; Sciuto, Gay; Wootton, RichardVideoconferencing at 384 kbit s for the transmission of echocardiograms has proved useful for the assessment of children with suspected cardiac disease in regional areas of Queensland A retrospective review of patient and management outcomes was conducted on cardiac teleconsultations performed at two regional hospitals during the period November 2000 to February 2004 inclusive There were 106 echo studies A subset of 72 cardiac teleconsultations performed between May 2001 and February 2004 was reviewed in detail The median age of patients at the time of consultation was 3 months range 1 day 17 years Sixteen per cent of teleconsultations were classified as urgent and were conducted on the same day as referral Following the videoconference 90 of patients could be managed locally and reviewed by the paediatrician or visiting paediatric cardiologist during an outreach clinic Six children 8 had significant cardiac lesions that were initially managed locally with subsequent elective transfer at the appropriate time for treatment Only one child 1 required urgent transfer to the tertiary centre for specialist care and surgery Telecardiology was effective in accurately identifying congenital heart disease Paediatric telecardiology is an evolving modality of assessment and communication and is likely to result in continued improvements in patient care patient outcomes and parental satisfaction in provincial centres removed from the tertiary cardiac centre