Presentation Description
Institution: Concord Hospital - New South Wales, Australia
Background:
Specialist burns telehealth services are increasingly used to support regional and rural centres; however, limited data describe outcomes for patients initially managed via telehealth who subsequently require operative intervention. This study evaluates surgical timing and outcomes following telehealth referral to a tertiary burns unit, benchmarked against national standards.
Methods:
A retrospective review was performed of all patients referred via a specialist burns telehealth service who subsequently underwent operative burn management during 2024–2025. Demographics, burn characteristics, timing metrics, operative details, length of stay (LOS), and complications were collected. Outcomes were compared with published Australian and New Zealand Burns Registry (BRANZ) benchmarks where applicable.
Results:
Forty patients were included (23 in 2024; 17 in 2025). Median burn size was 2.0% TBSA (range 0.1–7.0%). Median time from injury to initial telehealth consultation was 4 days (range 1–42). Median time from telehealth review to surgery was 8 days (range 1–49), with a median time from injury to surgery of 13 days (range 3–60). Median hospital LOS was 8.5 days (range 1–47).
The overall complication rate was 15% (6/40), including three patients requiring intravenous antibiotics, one case of Biodegradable Temporising Matrix loss, and two patients requiring regrafting during the index admission. There were no unplanned ICU admissions or mortalities. Surgical timing and LOS were comparable to BRANZ-reported outcomes for small-to-moderate TBSA burns managed operatively.
Conclusion:
Burns telehealth effectively identifies patients requiring operative management while maintaining acceptable surgical timing and outcomes consistent with national benchmarks. These findings support telehealth as a safe and efficient triage pathway for surgical burns care and highlight its role in improving access to specialist services for regional and rural populations.
Presenters
Authors
Authors
Dr Andrew Robertson - , Miss Miranda Pye - , Dr Daniel Isacson - , Prof Peter Maitz - , Dr Justine O'Hara -
