Specialist haematology consultation services in regional Western Australia: evaluating a model combining telehealth and onsite clinics

Background Models of care that increase specialist medical services to regional or remote patients are being explored worldwide. Many of the models include telehealth (also called telemedicine or video-conferencing consultations) alone or in combination with traditional face-to-face clinic visits. Aim To report the experience of patients using telehealth consultation and costs associated with delivering the service in a Regional Cancer Centre over a 12-month period. Methods Patients attending a Great Southern haematology clinic between September 2018 and July 2019 were invited to complete a brief questionnaire about their demographic and diagnosis details. Those attending a telehealth clinic were invited to complete a Tele-Haematology Satisfaction Questionnaire and invited to participate in a face-to-face interview regarding their general experiences and thoughts related to telehealth and face-to-face consultations. Occasions of service costs and direct hospital expenses were provided by the central health service's telehealth office. Results The use of telehealth alone or as part of a mixed model was acceptable and convenient for most patients. In addition, high levels of satisfaction were reported including improved access to specialist services, reduced travel time and an ease of use of the telehealth system. The total cost saving was A$308 per occasion of service. Conclusions The present study demonstrated that the model was effective in providing outpatient services and cost effective to the health service, while being experienced as a satisfactory model by patients.