Melbourne City Mission Palliative Care (MCMPM) have embarked on a 12-month project offering extended access to palliative care to clients living with chronic non-malignancies.
This project will be delivered via use of a smartphone application, which allows clients to rate their own symptoms on Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS) scale, and provide written and visual diaries to MCMPC. Clients will be scheduled for fortnightly or monthly telehealth consultations with a Registered Nurse (RN), which will take the form of a routine community palliative care physical and emotional symptom review, and a medication review.
Should clients be experiencing acute episodes or ongoing deterioration, the RN will refer directly to GPs and specialists.
Clients may also be offered access to counselling for end of life and advanced illness issues, and counselling and advice around completing advanced care directives.
The benchmarks for this study include, but are not limited to:
- increased communication and engagement with specialists/GPs,
- increased engagement with counselling,
- completion of advanced care directives,
- reduction in admissions to ED,
- management of acute episodes,
- client and carer satisfaction.
Referrals are now being accepted for new clients. Appropriate clients are those living with advanced chronic and non-malignant disease, who are able to use a smartphone or tablet app and are living within the geographical borders serviced by MCMPC – cities of Darebin, Hume, Yarra and Moreland.
Referrals can be made directly through the MCMPC site, and Tim Moore welcomes any questions or discussions. Tim can be contacted via phone on 9977 0026, or email on tmoore@mcm.org.au
Disclaimer: This article was provided by NWMPHN. While every effort has been made to ensure the information is accurate, North Western Melbourne Primary Health Network does not warrant or represent the accuracy, currency and completeness of any information or material included within.
