Murrumbidgee LHD’s ‘virtual hubs’ and e-prescribing pilots and more briefs

Murrumbidgee LHD trialling ‘virtual hubs,’ e-prescribing tool 

The Murrumbidgee Local Health District (MLHD) in southern New South Wales is pilot-testing a new state-sponsored telehealth programme that will allow people living in rural and remote areas to access quality healthcare closer to home, keeping them from travelling long distances.

Based on a media release, the Virtual Hubs trial gives community members the ability to have remote health consultations in a dedicated space at a district facility equipped with tools required for telehealth, including a wall-mounted screen, camera, speaker, and keyboard and mouse.

The Virtual Hubs are now being trialled in Junee Multipurpose Service (MPS), Tumut Hospital, Hillston MPS, Lake Cargelligo MPS, Hay MPS and Deniliquin Hospital.

Meanwhile, clinicians across MLHD are also set to partake in the pilot of a new electronic prescribing programme early next year. The trial will allow nurse practitioners to write and send e-prescriptions, expanding their scope of practice. It is also envisioned to reduce administrative tasks such as handling paper scripts and minimising the risks of transcribing and drug interaction errors. 

The Boorowa MPS will be the first site of the pilot, followed by Western NSW LHD.

Magentus’ oncology IMS coming to WA’s South Metropolitan Health Service

The South Metropolitan Health Service (SMHS) in Western Australia is adopting Magentus’ Charm Evolution oncology information management system. 

Charm Evolution was chosen to support SMHS’s transition to a fully e-prescribing system that will serve as a “single source of truth for a patient’s treatment.” The system is expected to provide clinicians with “more accurate” patient data and “instant” and remote access to near real-time information and standard protocols.

Major SMHS hospitals, Fiona Stanley Hospital and Rockingham General Hospital, are set to go live with Charm Evolution in the “first half of next year,” according to a media release.

Western Sydney starts e-referral transition

The Western Sydney LHD has started using electronic referrals via HealthLink with the first implementation done in the gastroenterology and gynaecology outpatient services at Blacktown Hospital.

The NSW-wide project introduces e-referrals to improve the quality and safety of referral processes, which had become “too time-consuming.” 

Starting next year, hospitals and community health services in Cumberland, Mount Druitt and Westmead will be accessible via e-referrals. 

Olinqua, Vayyar Care announces tech integration for preventing falls

Olinqua has combined its hospital automation solution with Vayyar Care’s 4D imaging radar technology to offer a new integrated system for managing mounting cases of falls.

Vayyar Care’s sensors can monitor fall risk factors such as increased bathroom usage, mobility loss, and changes in sleep patterns. Integrating these risk data into Olinqua’s smart operating system is said to offer a proactive approach to detecting and preventing falls.

“[This technology] integration enables hospital and residential aged care staff to receive an immediate notification of a fall or suspected fall on a smartphone, with a graphical representation of the incident and its location on the Olinqua dashboard,” Feargal O’Farrell, Vayyar Care director of ANZ Sales, further explained.