Investigators: Chris Brennan-Jones, Deborah Lehmann, Julie Marsh, June Doyle, Karina Tao, Kathryn Jajko, Liz Geelhoed, Natasha Morrison, Peter Richmond, Sharon Weeks, Val Swift, Eman Al-Enezi, Tamara Veselinovic
External collaborators:
- Perth Children's Hospital: Shyan Vijayasekaran, Hayley Herbert, Tu Trang Tran, Robert Proctor, Alessandra Locatelli-Smith, Allison Reid, Jafri Kuthubutheen
- Edith Cowan University: Daniel McAullay
Middle ear infections are a big problem for Aboriginal children. If a child gets lots of ear infections this can lead to difficulty in hearing and learning to talk. Many children need to see an Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) doctor at Perth Children’s Hospital (PCH) for further management and treatment, but there is a very long wait to be seen. Telehealth uses computer technology that allows children to have ear health assessments and receive care plans from PCH without having to travel there. It has been used successfully to diagnose and manage ear infections in remote areas, but this has not been tried in urban areas. We are testing a telehealth service called "Ear Portal" in an urban setting to more quickly manage ear infections for Aboriginal children.