TeleSleep program set to provide a better night sleep to regional Queenslanders

Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital’s new TeleSleep program has recently launched in Rockhampton, allowing people living in regional and remote areas of Queensland to access vital sleep study services in their hometown.

The program will allow regional Queenslanders to receive the healthcare they need without travelling hundreds of kilometres to Brisbane, while also providing ongoing support and expertise to busy regional clinicians.

The regional clinic is based in Rockhampton, where local clinicians are supported by sleep specialists and nursing staff in Brisbane via telehealth.

Regional patients who require sleep studies are able to collect the sleep study device from Rockhampton, record their sleep patterns in their own bed, and then return the equipment back to the Rockhampton clinic where the data is uploaded and analysed remotely by Brisbane-based Sleep Scientists and Sleep Physicians.

Regional patients requiring CPAP therapy for sleep apnoea are also able to have the mask fitting and trial undertaken at the Rockhampton clinic, with the local clinician receiving instruction and supervision from the scientific and nursing staff in Brisbane.

RBWH Director, Respiratory and Sleep Sciences Darren O’Brien said the team are thrilled to offer tertiary standard sleep care to regional Queenslanders that was previously only available in metropolitan centres.

“For many regional Queenslanders, travelling to Brisbane for a sleep study is a huge burden both financially and logistically,” he said.

“In some cases, this can lead to patients delaying the healthcare they need and potentially exacerbating sleep related health issues.

“We are excited to make this service more readily available to regional Queenslanders and are grateful to the team on the ground in Rockhampton for making it all possible.

“Not only will this provide a much-needed service for Queenslanders, but it will also reduce the carbon footprint that would usually be created by patients travelling to metropolitan appointments.

“The RBWH team are looking forward to working with regional Queensland patients and clinicians to investigate and treat sleep related problems.”

If you would like to know more about the TeleSleep program, please visit https://www.health.qld.gov.au/cq/gp/sopd/clinical-measurements.