Armidale Hospital celebrated Occupational Therapy Week last month, recognising the hospital's success in helping people of all abilities reach their potential.
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The hospital staff are particularly proud of their award-winning video consulting technology which connects rural and remote patients to the hospital or distant specialists.
Since 2016, clients with hand injuries have been able to consult surgeons in Newcastle or Brisbane without having to leave their local community, via the hospital's Telehealth system.
"It's broken down so many of those distance barriers that rural people face," occupational therapist Katie Street said.
The service won a Tablelands Sector Quality Award for delivering integrated care - a boon to the more than 240 clients the hospital therapists will have seen this year.
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Hands, Ms Street explained, are our most functional tool, and how we engage with the world. People often take their hands for granted, but a sore or injured hand can make life a daily struggle.
Clients with complex hand injuries (such as amputations or crush injuries), Ms Street said, are mostly referred to major metropolitan centres like Newcastle's John Hunter Hospital for specialised orthopaedic surgery; clients must then return to these centres for follow-up appointments.
In practice, Ms Street said, this can mean patients in Tenterfield or Moree might have to drive six hours for a five-minute consultation - or might not attend follow-up sessions at all.
The Workstation on Wheels - aptly shortened to WOW - connects clients with specialists or therapists who might be hours away. Two cameras allow the health providers to see a patient's range of motion, or zoom in to inspect wounds and scars.
"The dialogue's been amazing," Ms Street said. "It's allowed people to travel less distance to access their consults, but it's also saved them a substantial amount of money - $15,000 - in petrol costs alone, not including associated costs like accommodation, sick leave, loss of wages, even child care."
One local earth-moving contractor, for instance, had 75 consultations since the back of his hand was partially amputated in May 2018 after a traumatic injury. In those 18 months, he had several surgeries and intensive hand therapy.
Rather than having to attend a metropolitan hospital regularly, the man received follow-up therapy at Armidale Hospital in close collaboration with his surgeon and Newcastle-based hand therapist.
At first, the man had no functional use of his hand; now, he can use cutlery, tie his shoelaces, and dress himself. He is driving again, and working in a similar but altered capacity in his business.
When the client consults their surgeon, the hospital's hand therapists are there to explain the client's progress to the surgeon, or to clarify information so their client isn't confused or overwhelmed.
The hospital therapists can provide therapy long-distance to remote and rural clients, or advise distant colleagues. They also use the WOW to educate students or peers, deliver lectures, or attend teleconferences.
The technology is also used in the hospital's fracture clinic to treat patients from Inverell to Glen Innes, and for remote home visits.
The occupational therapists, Ms Street said, have upskilled themselves to provide a broader hand therapy service.