Boost for WA telehealth initiatives

Digital health services in Western Australia have received a boost after Silverchain and the state government made moves to expand telehealth initiatives.

In-home care provider Silverchain singed a partnership deal with Israel-based telehealth pioneer Sheba Beyond, which created one of the world’s first virtual hospitals.

Sheba Beyond operates 130 virtual clinics and orchestrates hundreds of virtual appointments daily in a bid to further develop and improve digital health services.

The two parties signed a memorandum of understanding to pioneer new models of home care by leveraging digital technologies to deliver health care services, according to Silverchain.

Silverchain chief executive Dale Fisher said the MoU marked a significant milestone in international knowledge exchange in the health care and aged care fields.

“Through this joint initiative, Silverchain will have the opportunity to benefit from Sheba’s expertise and experience, further enhancing the standards and capabilities in home care for the 115,000 Australians we care for each year,” she said.

“Ultimately, our partnership is set to improve home care access for all Australians, enhancing care outcomes and enriching the patient experience through digital innovation.

“Sheba will also benefit from our expertise in applied research which has a focus on improving safety and accessibility for in-home care particularly mental health, palliative care, cardiology, rehabilitation and acute health care in the home.”

Sheba chief innovation and transformation officer Professor Eyal Zimlichman said the two parties would strive to improve the way care is delivered to homes across Australia.

“In this collaboration, the ARC Centre could work hand-in-hand with Silverchain to create cutting-edge decision-support tools, co-develop new platforms or devices, and even conduct joint research related to forward-thinking topics, such as smart homes,” he said.

Meanwhile, the state government announced it would be expanding its WA Telestroke initiative to become a 24-hour service for clinicians caring for patients with acute stroke symptoms.

The expanded initiative is expected to further assist emergency clinicians with the diagnosis, assessment and disposition of acute stroke and transient ischaemic attack patients.

"We know that access to timely diagnosis and expert treatment can make a huge difference to the effects of a stroke on a patient,” Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson said.

"The ongoing expansion of Telestroke is a critical move towards providing more equitable stroke care to all Western Australians, regardless of where they live.

"Rapid access to acute stroke consultation and advice enables clinicians to achieve better health outcomes for their patients, especially in rural and remote communities."

Since late 2021, the Telestroke service, which is part of a two-phase $9.7 million program, has diagnosed and treated about 600 stroke patients across the state.

"The faster a stroke is diagnosed, the faster treatment can occur, thus lowering the risk of permanent brain damage and disability,” Department of Health WA state stroke director Andrew Wesseldine said.

“Telestroke facilitates faster diagnosis in regions where stroke specialists may not work or be readily available.”