In a region as large and as rugged as East Gippsland, distance can make a stint in hospital a lonely experience – especially during the festive season.
But Bairnsdale Regional Health Service has come up with a solution to connect patients with the people they love – Virtual Visiting Hours.
Virtual Visiting Hours (VVH) allows a BRHS patient on the Rotamah, Tambo and Flanagan wards or in the BRHS Emergency Department to chat with a friend or family member in a video call, with the patient using an iPad supplied by the hospital.
This service is available now through BRHS’ Telehealth services.
It also allows loved ones living away from East Gippsland to have a direct role in a patient’s care and, by allowing them to see the patient ion the screen, can help our medical and clinical teams to pick up subtle subtle changes in the patient’s condition that aren’t immediately obvious to BRHS staff.
BRHS Acting Chief Executive Officer Kathy Kinrade said the system, developed by the Strategic Projects team at BRHS, is easy to use and keeps people connected.
“Keeping patients connected to the people they care about is an important part of the care and recovery process. It ensures that they are happier and, hopefully, get healthier sooner,” she said.
“VVH means patients get the emotional support they need even when they are a long way from the people they love.
“It minimises the risks patients may face from potential infections, and virtual visits can be booked at a time that suits virtual visitors and patients, especially when patients may be booked in for treatments or procedures.”
Kathy said the connection process is seamless, user-friendly and secure. BRHS staff will help patients to connect to the service.
“We’re excited about this innovation. East Gippsland is vast, and travel from some of our outlying towns to Bairnsdale for hospital visits can be difficult for some people,” she said.
“Virtual Visiting Hours also builds a bridge for when people are kept apart by an illness such as coronavirus. VVH is a great development for us and for our community.”
For more details and instructions on how to connect, go to https://brhs.com.au/health-services/telehealth/.