The Pathways Telehealth Nurse service is an Australian innovation that places a trained registered nurse within a patient organisation, to provide specialist care and health system navigation to communities with rare, genetic, and complex conditions.

The program was developed by an Australian nurse, Kate Holliday who is a researcher, Chief Executive and founder of the Centre for Community-Driven Research.

The concept of the Pathways Telehealth Nurse program comes from leveraging the relationship patient groups have with the community, and if they have patients coming to them, we need to make sure there is a registered nurse there with expertise in their condition, to help them navigate the health system.

This is a model of care that provides a patient with a holistic care plan and makes the best use of all that is available to them in the Australian health system. It’s a service that anyone can access, regardless of where they live. But it’s also a model that ensures nurses are supported in their role and have guidance in their scope of practice.

A Pathways nurse will be available for the Scleroderma Australia community and Kate will talk us through the Health Pathways System.