Beaudesert residents will have access to a world first vertigo telehealth service when Dial a Dizzy comes to Beaudesert Hospital this month.
The service will provide specialist advice for patients presenting to the Emergency Department with acute dizziness, vertigo and imbalance.
Beaudesert Hospital Facility Manager Jacquie Smith said it was fantastic to be able to provide this innovative service to the Beaudesert community.
She said it gave Beaudesert and surrounding residents access to the first service in the world to provide a physiotherapy to external emergency department model of care.
“It also means that patients can access this incredible service closer to home without having to travel to Logan Hospital.”
Consultant Vestibular Physiotherapist Leia Barnes said the unique service was part of the Complex Vestibular Service in partnership with the Integrated Specialist ENT service at Logan Hospital and the Healthcare Improvement Unit, Queensland Health.
She said it was exciting to bring the service to Beaudesert Hospital after its success in other rural hospitals including Cooktown, Longreach, Mt Isa and Weipa.
“This means even more patients will be able to receive much needed assistance close to home, in their rural areas, and there are plans to extend to GPs early next year,” she said.
Ms Barnes said the service operated on a telehealth basis with Beaudesert Hospital Emergency Department clinicians dialling in to a Logan Hospital Dial a Dizzy clinician for patient examinations.
“Videos of eye movements obtained using special infra-red goggles can then be uploaded for the Dial a Dizzy clinician to interpret before providing a report to the remote clinician,” she said.
“We work with the local treating team to provide onsite care for vestibular (inner ear) conditions, such as Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV), or help with early recognition of stroke signs which allows the emergency doctor to quickly respond and escalate management.
“Not only is this providing patients with more timely and appropriate access to care, but it is reducing pressure on emergency departments and eliminating the need for regional and remote patients to have to travel.”
