People living in rural and remote Queensland
Telehealth
Living and working in rural and remote communities can make accessing end of life and palliative care services more difficult than for people who live in larger towns and cities. People who live and work in rural and remote areas can experience extra pressures such as social isolation, financial hardship, lack of employment opportunities, and natural disasters such as fire, flood or drought.
Telehealth allows patients in rural and remote locations to use videoconferencing facilities (TV screen and digital video camera) to speak to and see a health professional from hospitals in Queensland without the need to travel far from home.
Telehealth appointments can:
- improve access to health services locally
- reduce patient travel and costs
- reduce time away from home
- reduce making lengthy family or day care arrangements
- reduce taking extended amounts of time off work to attend appointments.
For more information visit telehealth or email telehealth@health.qld.gov.au.
Specialist Palliative Rural Telehealth Service
Regional and rural patients, and their families, can access specialist palliative care services via telehealth.
A referral is required from your GP, oncologist, other specialist or community nurse. Care is delivered by Specialist Palliative Rural Telehealth service (SPaRTa).
Planning ahead
It can be hard to talk about what might happen if you become very unwell. Advance care planning can give you and your loved ones peace of mind when they know what your wishes are so they can be respected.
The My Care, My Choices brochure explains the advance care planning process in simple terms. Your plan will help guide the people who may need to make choices on your behalf in the future.
Find out more information about advance care planning:
Transport assistance and information
- Patient Travel Subsidy Scheme—financial support for travel and accommodation for eligible patients needing to travel to access specialist medical services.
- Royal Flying Doctors Service—aero-medical transport, health care and 24-hour emergency services to people who live, travel or work in rural and remote Queensland communities, including transport between health care facilities and response to emergencies.
- Queensland Taxi Subsidy Scheme—subsidises taxi travel. Half of the total fare, up to a maximum of $30 per trip, for people with severe disabilities.
- Community transport options—helps people travel for medical appointments.
- Disability parking permit scheme—some people may be able to get an Australian parking permit if their ability to walk is severely restricted by a medical condition or disability.