June 2003

With this new phone seeing is believing

Long-term patients at the Royal Melbourne Hospital could soon enjoy virtual visits from families and friends who live too far away to visit the hospital themselves.

Purpose-built video telephones are being used in a trial of a new service to help long-term patients keep in touch with family and friends as a means of aiding their recovery.

The first participant in the trial, bone marrow transplant patient Leanne Jones, was overjoyed after seeing and speaking with her young children Rhys, 3, and Brittany, 13 months, for the first time in weeks.

Her children are in the care of her parents in Portland.

‘It was fantastic just being able to see them again—and knowing that I can dial up whenever I want to see them and speak to them is great.

‘I can keep in contact with my parents the same way realising they can see and hear me at the same time.’

Mrs Jones had not seen her children since her bone marrow transplant at the beginning of April as she was required to remain in hospital for close monitoring of her condition.

In fact, she has had little contact with them since being diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphatic system, in August last year.

‘I had to come to Melbourne for initial tests and treatment and had to be close to the hospital throughout that period, which meant I didn’t get home too often,’ Mrs Jones said.

Her husband, Keith, has spent much of that time at her bedside but has traveled home periodically to help her parents look after their children.

‘I have never been worried about my children as I know they are in good hands but I missed them terribly, wondering what they were doing and knowing that I was missing out on all the small things in their development,’ said Mrs Jones.

All that changed when she was chosen as the first participant in the trial with a video telephone handset installed at her bedside.

Her husband was given an identical handset for use at their Portland home.

Royal Melbourne Hospital Head of Information Technology Mary Wollmering said other possible uses of video telephones were being investigated.

‘We are looking at making the service available for people who have recently begun dialysis, as well as aged care, Hospital in the Home and rehabilitation patients.

‘These patients will be able to use the telephones to access clinical advice without having to leave home and will be able to speak and interact with staff they may already be familiar with and trust,’ Mrs Wollmering said.