• Category Marryalyan
  • DATE 26 Oct 2022

COSA's Regional and Rural Group

October 2022

National Activities

The Australian Teletrial Program (ATP) will improve access to, and participation in, clinical trials for rural, regional and remote Australians. Queensland Health was awarded $75.2 million as the lead organisation on behalf of the program partners (NT, QLD, SA, TAS, VIC and WA) from the Commonwealth Government Medical Research Future Fund – National Critical Infrastructure Initiative: 2019 Rural, Regional and Remote Clinical Trial Enabling Infrastructure Grant for “The Australian Teletrial Program: Access to clinical trials closer to home” project.

Regional Clinical Trial Coordinating Centres (RCCC) funded through ATP in each partner jurisdiction provide support to set up teletrials, basic education and training in clinical and teletrials, as well as equipment and logistics relevant to clinical and teletrials. ATP, through the Teletrial Support Program (TSP) grant, has also introduced “Teletrial Cluster Management Payment” for eligible Primary Sites and “Teletrial Per Participant Payment” for eligible Satellite Sites.

For more information email Australian_Teletrial_Program@health.qld.gov.au or visit https://australianteletrialprogram.com.au

TeleChemotherapy in Western Australia

Over the last two years, WA Country Health Service (WACHS) has improved access to cancer care by expanding cancer services in the Pilbara, Wheatbelt and Kimberley areas through establishing TeleChemotherapy centres in Karratha, Narrogin and Broome. From late 2019–2021, 154 patients have been treated through TeleChemotherapy centres. WACHS are currently conducting a qualitative and quantitative assessment of Telechemotherapy. An emerging theme from the interviews are that TeleChemotherapy services provide a smaller, more personal experience. One patient commented: “After [metro hospital], to come here and be part of a smaller clinic without the hurly burly of the large numbers of people being treated… the attention and the focus on you is really great.”

TeleLymphodema in Western Australia

Complex lymphoedema often requires specialised care from trained specialists. Often country patients have difficult accessing such care due to distance. A pilot TeleLymphodema service was established between Fiona Stanley Hospital and two regional centres – Katanning and Esperance. This involves treatment from the local physiotherapy or occupational therapist under the instruction from a specialised lymphoedema physiotherapist from Fiona Stanley Hospital via telehealth. This pilot project has helped regional patients access lymphoedema services closer to home and has helped upskill physiotherapist and occupational therapists in regional areas with more advanced management of lymphoedema.

Regional and Rural Executive Committee

The Regional and Rural Group will be looking for new and dynamic people to join our Executive Committee. We would like to expand our committee to include people with a variety of expertise and from different areas of cancer care including nurses, allied health, psychologists and doctors. Please keep up your membership of COSA and the Regional and Rural Group to be informed of our activities and to receive the Executive Committee call for nominations.

Dr Wei-Sen Lam

Chair, Regional & Rural Group

Wei-Sen.Lam@health.wa.gov.au

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