Enables virtual surgical collaboration and improves access to care for 230,000 Queenslanders.
Melbourne, 12 May 2025 – Teladoc Health Australia New Zealand today announces its partnership with Central Queensland Hospital and Health Service (CQHHS) to deliver a Telesurgery solution, implementing a new technology and clinical approach to securely connect medical professionals virtually to the operating theatre, irrespective of their location across the health service sites. This innovative collaboration method enhances the ability to deliver on complex healthcare requirements across their geographically and socially diverse community of over 230,000 people, and addresses barriers to surgical access and expertise across rural and regional areas of Central Queensland.
The Teladoc solution provides clinicians at three of the four CQHHS hospital sites with the ability to virtually “scrub in” and assist each other during surgical procedures. This approach not only fosters enhanced procedural collaboration but also ensures seamless capacity overflow management during emergency scenarios. Surgeons can now remotely provide real-time “over the shoulder” support, consultation, and specialist guidance without needing to physically travel to another hospital site.
“The most exciting thing about this is clinicians feeling supported.” remarked Christina McInally, Telehealth Coordinator and Clinical Nurse Consultant at CQHHS. “They have someone to call and know that what they are doing is the right thing. They can learn from others, whether that is an urgent situation, a supervision, or education – it’s that collegial support.”
Additionally, the technology drastically reduces the need for patient transfers between hospitals by providing timely decision-making support directly to local clinicians who are on site with the patient. Rural healthcare providers will be able to quickly access specialist consultations, reducing waiting times and the associated risks and costs of patient transfers.
“Having the knowledge that any clinician could dial in to support a colleague and say ‘I’m going to be here for you, let’s get the patients cared for there’ means the clinicians are doing more and feeling more valuable to the local community,” said Rural Generalist and Clinical Director of Capricorn Coast Hospital Dr Andrew Scott. “The patient and family could avoid travel over several days and all the potential consequences that come from that. And as a result, there is a hospital that’s not bed blocked. There are huge, huge impacts.”
He emphasised the positive outcomes for both patients, and the health service, stating, “It gives us more options for our patients. And that is impactful because it allows us to strengthen our rapport with patients and provide them with alternative options to some significant travel and cost. If we can provide care in flexible and innovative ways, the patients will get the care sooner and are more likely to actually receive it. As opposed to them just not going in and then coming in later with advanced disease.”
In addition to bolstering real-time surgical collaboration, the solution significantly accelerates learning and skill acquisition among medical trainees. According to Dr Michael Lamparelli, Director of Surgery at CQHHS, surgical residents and trainees now benefit from direct virtual access to the operating room, observing and engaging in complex procedures through live-streaming technology and interactive features that replicate the in-person surgical environment. “It’s going to allow us to virtually scrub-in rather than be in-person in theatres, particularly with our trainees transiting towards independent practice.”
The partnership also facilitates streamlined proctoring and credentialing processes necessary for site accreditation. Medical professionals can now swiftly achieve training and certification, significantly reducing delays commonly associated with traditional on-site accreditation.
Darren Reynolds, Managing Director at Teladoc Health Australasia, affirmed the importance of this type of clinical collaboration: “In adopting this technology and approach, CQHHS is making a profound impact by focusing on the direct needs of its community and patients and delivering higher quality care closer to home. We are proud to partner with CQHHS to enable virtual care solutions that bring real benefit to the regional population of Queensland.”
Ultimately, the Teladoc partnership and solution empowers clinicians across Central Queensland through improved in-service training, education, mentoring, real-time physician collaboration, and immediate access to procedural and technical support, significantly elevating the standard of care available to patients throughout the region.
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