The Medibank-owned innovator has signed a deal with the ASX-listed telehealth technology provider Visionflex to deliver software and hardware for the virtual nursing trial being conducted in 30 aged care homes across Australia.
Visionflex specialises in telehealth carts, which are essentially a medical-grade computer on wheels, kitted out with a suite of diagnostic tools ranging from an infrared thermometer, stethoscope and otoscope to an ECG machine, blood pressure monitor, and a wound camera.
The $1 million contract includes $750,000 for hardware and $250,000 for software over the trial period, beginning in March 2025 and concluding in June 2027. Initially, Visionflex will provide virtual care technology across five sites, starting in July 2025.
A statement from Visionflex said, "With growing demand for digital health solutions and an accelerating shift towards telehealth, the virtual care market offers a compelling opportunity to modernise aged care."
Amplar Health was awarded the $30 million Government-funded virtual nursing trial in February to explore how virtual nursing services could be integrated into aged care homes to support on-site staff, potentially extending clinical expertise in homes where it might otherwise not be available.
The trial will be focused on homes in rural and remote areas, and homes supporting older First Nations people or older people from diverse backgrounds.
La Trobe University will assess the impact of the virtual care, looking at clinical outcomes, workforce capacity, and the long-term sustainability of aged care.
The trial comes amid serious workforce shortages in rural, regional and remote areas in Australia, making it difficult for providers in those areas to meet mandatory 24/7 RN requirements. Senate Estimates heard last November that the aged care sector is estimated to be short 1,490 RNs in 2024-25, with the greatest shortages in regional and rural areas.
In February, Amplar Health was awarded a contract by the South Australian Government to deliver care to 24 public hospital patients at the Adelaide Pullman Hotel, where the State Government is accommodating them while they await an aged care placement.
The home healthcare provider also operates SA Health’s successful My Home Hospital service, which has treated more than 17,000 patients, including 2,500 aged care residents, over the past three years.
