The point-of-referral barrier - a factor in the success of telehealth

A feasibility study was carried out to test the hypothesis that, for an eff ective telehealth service, a full-time coordinator is required to act as a single point of contact for consultation requests. By shifting the responsi bility for telepaediatrics from the referrer to the provider, the telehealt h process becomes equally (or more) attractive as the conventional alternat ive. Preliminary results showed that, within six months, telepaediatric act ivity increased to an average of 8 h per month. Not only did certain health services become more accessible to children and their families in remote a reas of Queensland, but significant savings were also made. At least 12 pat ient transfers were avoided to and from the tertiary facility, with an esti mated minimum saving of $18,000 to the health-care provider.