Telstra Health chosen by one of Australia's largest Indigenous community
Telstra Health today announced that it would provide a fully integrated electronic health and practice management system for the Gurriny Yealamucka Health Service who support the Yarrabah community, one of the largest Indigenous community in Australia. The deal will see Communicare, the leading health software solution in Australia’s Indigenous and remote populations, installed at seven health services in Yarrabah, Queensland.
Communicare is a fully integrated electronic health and practice management system, designed for use in community health, with a focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health. It places patients at the centre of the health system allowing patient medical information to be accessed in multiple locations and by a range of health providers across the primary health care system including general practice, maternal health, immunisations, drug and alcohol management and pediatric care.
The latest announcement came on the back of the roll out of the solution to Queensland Health’s North West Hospital and Health Service, covering 23 communities over a space of 300,000 square kilometres, announced in March.
Shane Solomon, Telstra Health Managing Director, said that Communicare showed how integrated, digital healthcare solutions could change health outcomes for all Australians.
“We set up Telstra Health to connect all Australians to the healthcare they need, when they need it. This is a great example of how even the most remote Australians can still get the care they deserve,” Mr Solomon said.
“The importance of closing the gap cannot be overstated – not only do Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders have a shorter lifespan than other Australians, but they also have higher rates of chronic illness such as diabetes, heart disease and kidney disease.
“Communicare allows health services to have integrated patient records and care plans as well as a tailored appointment management service that addresses unique challenges remote Indigenous communities and patients face. The delivery of care is very different to visiting a GP clinic in a capital city and this makes it easier for doctors, patients and providers,” Mr Solomon said.
Communicare, owned and operated by Telstra’s HealthConnex Group, is installed in 187 sites across Australia and assists with more than 1.2 million patient consultations every year.
Suzanne Andrews, Chief Executive Officer of Gurinny Yealamucka Health Service, said that Communicare was selected because of its focus on comprehensive primary health care.
“Communicare will help achieve better health outcomes for our people as well as empower all our health professionals to easily review performance on health outcomes for our patients,” Mrs Andrews said.
Communicare General Manager, Greg Robinson, said he looked forward to implementing the product in the Gurriny Yealamucka Health Service.
“We are delighted they have selected Communicare. They become almost our 200th site across the country and we look forward to them implementing the application to support holistic primary care to the community,” Mr Robinson said.
Telstra Health also operates the National Telehealth Connection Service, using telemedicine to connect remote Indigenous communities to specialist care.
About Telstra Health
Telstra Health is a provider of eHealth solutions with the ambition to create a better health system for patients, providers and health insurers. Telstra Health aims to be the partner of choice and is working with medical experts, the health sector, government, funders as well as the world’s best and most innovative eHealth companies to build a future where eHealth solutions are integrated together to create a brilliantly different health care system. Telstra Health is a business division of Telstra Corporation, Australia’s leading telecommunications company. For more information visit www.telstra.com/health