Royal Adelaide Hospital Burns Unit Receives Grant for Telehealth Equipment

Adelaide based hospital burns unit will soon have state of the art telehealth videoconferencing equipment, following the award of a $15,000 Clipsal Community Grants of $15,000.
The latest round of funding in the program has also donated $15,000 to the Speech Pathology Unit in the Royal Adelaide Hospital. The grant contributes to portable nasendoscopy equipment for the unit which specifically assesses inhalation injuries.
For the burns unit, the equipment will allow video conferencing consultations with rural hospitals and health centres across South Australia and the Northern Territory. It will assist regional staff with patient assessment, treatment advice and follow-up appointments of acute burns patients.
The technology will also improve rural and remote patient access to specialist burns services, minimise the need to travel long distances for ongoing assessments, and allow patients to stay in their own communities for care.
Julian Burton OAM, and founder of the Julian Burton Burns Trust, said burn injuries are very traumatic for the patient and it’s critical that the treatment and recovery process is as stress free as possible.
“Patients in some of the more remote areas of South Australia and the Northern Territory will be able to cut down on travel efforts and costs by being able to attend the consultations via video conference, relieving some of the pressures for both the patients and their carers, the whole way through the recovery process, Mr Burton said. “The technology is already saving patients in Mount Gambier a ten hour round trip for a short appointment. “Expert knowledge and patient care is a key component of the recovery of burns patients. “The telehealth facility will extend the vital burn centre expertise in the Royal Adelaide Hospital to a number of rural communities at a low cost. “Staff in these hospitals can also improve their own skills through the link up with the Burns Unit Staff. “The teleconferencing technology also uses specialised monitors to examine wounds and follow-up with scar management. “This improved access to expertise allows patients to receive overall better care and outcomes,” Julian continued.
David Gardner, of Clipsal and Schneider Electric Partner Business said: “The Julian Burton Burns Trust is one of the best charities Clipsal has ever been involved with. “Julian has inspired all of us with his commitment to burn prevention and better care. It’s great to see the money raised through the sale of our smoke alarms going to organisations that are supporting burns patients when they most need it, in some of the most remote areas of South Australia.”
Additionally, the program has donated $5,000 to the Australian and New Zealand Burns Association (ANZBA) for the redevelopment of their website. This will help educate both burns patients and medical professionals about burns prevention