Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39891131›Full record

Observational studyBMC health services research2025

Implementation of rural provider-to-provider telehealth in country Western Australia: a retrospective observational analysis via the RE-AIM framework.

Kaylie Toll, Suzanne Robinson, Stephen Andrew, Aled Williams, Justin Yeung, Richard Varhol, Joanna C Moullin

Abstract readObservational Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Observational study in BMC health services research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Kaylie TollSchool of Population Health, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Bentley, Perth, WA, 6845, Australia. kaylie.toll@curtin.edu.au.
Suzanne RobinsonSchool of Population Health, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Bentley, Perth, WA, 6845, Australia.
Stephen AndrewWA Country Health Service, Perth, WA, Australia.
Aled WilliamsWA Country Health Service, Perth, WA, Australia.
Justin YeungWA Country Health Service, Perth, WA, Australia.
Richard VarholSchool of Population Health, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Bentley, Perth, WA, 6845, Australia.
Joanna C MoullinSchool of Population Health, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Bentley, Perth, WA, 6845, Australia.

Funding

Western Australian Future Health and Innovation Fund, Government of Western Australia ISF2021-4
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundRural provider-to-provider telehealth is growing globally. It is used to both facilitate equitable access to specialist healthcare services for those living in rural and remote areas and provide support to place-based providers. There is limited research on the implementation of these services, especially in an emergency or inpatient hospital setting. The Western Australia Country Health Service (WACHS) Command Centre is one such example. First implemented in 2012, the Command Centre services a geographical area covering 2.55 million square kilometres, a population of approximately 550,000, and provides five clinical streams including Emergency, Mental Health Emergency, Midwifery and Obstetrics Emergency, Inpatient, and Palliative Care Afterhours Telehealth Services.

objectivesThis study aimed to evaluate the implementation and access of rural provider-to-provider telehealth in country Western Australia, for the years 2012 to 2023.

methodsA retrospective observational analysis was conducted of all patient contacts managed by clinical telehealth streams of the Command Centre, between 31 August 2012 and 31 December 2023. Utilising descriptive statistics, analyses was informed by the expanded Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, Maintenance (RE-AIM) Framework and Implementation Outcomes Framework (IOF) definitions.

resultsOver the near 12-year period, a total of 215,965 service contacts were analysed from the five Command Centre clinical streams. There was large variation in the reach and adoption of services across regions, sites, and health facility types, however service scope and activity has increased steadily over time (maintenance). 95 of the 103 WACHS-managed sites had utilised Command Centre clinical telehealth services. The Command Centre has seen an increase in the proportion of clinical telehealth services provided to the most disadvantaged populations, demonstrating improved equity of access (effectiveness) over time.

conclusionThere is a steady expansion in the availability of provider-to-provider clinical telehealth services delivered by the WACHS Command Centre across country WA, but with wide variability of usage depending on region, site, and health facility type. The results of this study show there is a need to understand the contextual factors influencing the adoption, implementation, and sustainability of the service.

Indexed as

Health Services AccessibilityRural Health ServicesTelemedicineAdultFemaleHumansMaleRetrospective StudiesWestern AustraliaEmergency careImplementation scienceObservational analysisTelehealthVirtual care

Identifiers

PMID39891131
PMCPMC11786510

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.