Vitccu

The Virtual Trauma and Critical Care Unit project will provide support for local regional doctors, in smaller towns, dealing with trauma or specialist cases, by linking them via video conference, with trauma and critical care specialists at Melbourne’s Alfred, Austin, St Vincent’s and Royal Children’s hospitals.

The video conferencing equipment incorporating broadband technology is set up by the bed of a critically ill patient in a regional hospital. A patient’s vital signs, clinical test results and x-rays are forwarded direct to the appropriate specialists in Melbourne. The specialist can see the patient live via a video link and review the patient information on a computer monitor. They are then able to offer expert treatment advice on the care of that patient.

This will allow quicker decisions on the right treatment for the patient and also determine if they can stay in their local hospital or need to be sent on to a larger hospital in Melbourne or Bendigo.

Bendigo Health will be the primary referral site in the region for smaller hospitals, however all hospitals, including Bendigo will also be able to receive advice from those participating metropolitan hospitals.

Visit the ViTCCU Project Website