Patients with IBD in remote areas give telehealth the thumbs up
A Queensland service has nearly tripled patient numbers over six years, gastroenterologists say
Telehealth clinics for people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in regional and remote Queensland have proven popular, with 99% of patients surveyed wanting the option to continue, doctors report.
In 2011, telehealth clinics linked to the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital (RBWH) were set up in Bundaberg and Rockhampton.
During the first year of operation, 153 patients were surveyed, with a 95% response rate. Almost all (99%) said they wanted to continue their treatment by telehealth, the authors reported in the Internal Medicine Journal.
Most patients (94%) rated their telehealth experience as very good or excellent, according to the authors, who included Dr Ming-Han Lim and Dr Graham Radford-Smith, from the RBWH.
