Children with undiagnosed neurological conditions in outback Queensland could soon be treated faster thanks to an Australian-first rural pilot program to measure and record brain wave activity.

The program is being run in collaboration with the Townsville Hospital and Health Service and the North West Hospital and Health Service at the Mount Isa Hospital.

Townsville University Hospital’s (TUH) paediatric neurologist Dr Trupti Jadhav designed the electroencephalogram (EEG) pilot program because of the high failure to attend rate for paediatric neurology appointments for patients from rural and remote communities.

“Geography is a significant barrier to care, and about 50 per cent of north-west families fail to attend specialist EEG appointments,” Dr Jadhav said.

“For many families, particularly in First Nations communities, travelling to a large city is a major challenge, and this was leading to children missing out on time-critical diagnosis and treatment.

“We thought instead of trying to get them to come to Townsville or Brisbane for an appointment why not go to them.

“A Mount Isa Hospital-based cardiac technician has received extensive training over the past six months to perform EEGs on children to record their brain wave activity.

“As part of the pilot program, the EEGs will be remotely reported by me to facilitate timely medical treatment by the local paediatrician or a neurologist in a tertiary centre via telehealth, therefore providing the standard of care closer to home.”

Dr Jadhav said the program could help prevent delays in accessing medical treatment.

“We aim to study the clinical impact as well as the cost effectiveness of this service over a 12-month period, and to build a case to have this as an ongoing service if successful,” she said.

North West HHS director of paediatrics Dr Viliame Sotutu said the EEG pilot program would have a meaningful impact on families in the region, particularly those facing financial and geographic barriers to specialist care.

“When we can identify neurological issues early through local EEG testing, it opens the door to early intervention and treatment which can change a child’s health trajectory,” Dr Sotutu said.

“For families in our region, this means better outcomes and less reliance on expensive, long-distance specialist services in the future.”

Mount Isa Hospital cardiac technician Lucy O’Neill said being part of the EEG pilot had been a rewarding experience, allowing her to play a key role in expanding access to vital neurological diagnostics for children in the region.

“Being able to perform EEGs locally means we can detect neurological issues much earlier and help families avoid the stress and cost of long-distance travel. This is a huge step forward for rural health,” Ms O’Neill said.

Townsville HHS chief executive Kieran Keyes said the initiative was a great example of the innovative spirit that drives regional and rural health services.

“The tyranny of distance is a challenge facing our health service as well as our colleagues in the north-west,” Mr Keyes said.

“Through the work of Dr Jadhav and our colleagues at the North West HHS we are creating a smarter, more efficient, and patient-centred model of care.

“This initiative is part of our push to use technology and strong partnerships to ensure a person’s postcode does not determine their health outcomes.”

North West HHS chief executive Sean Birgan said the initiative highlighted the power of collaboration and innovation in overcoming the challenges of delivering specialist healthcare in remote regions.

“This pilot demonstrates what’s possible when we work collaboratively and innovatively to solve complex access issues in rural health,” Mr Birgan said.

“By building local capability and connecting with tertiary specialists, we are creating a sustainable model that puts the needs of north-west Queensland families first. It’s smart, compassionate healthcare.”

This initiative was funded through Townsville HHS’s Study, Education and Research Trust Account research grants.