The introduction to CR was ideally delivered by a local radiographer at a district site with similar equipment. Backup was provided by radiographers from Statewide Telehealth and Statewide Medical Imaging Support Service; these different divisions of QH provide services in remote locations. Local radiographers providing support for licensed operators were identified as part of the training plan and included in the follow-up training as “superusers.”

The applications training, which was delivered onsite by the vendor's application specialist, consisted of two days immediately following installation of the equipment and one day follow-up at a later date. A Telehealth radiographer assisted with this part of the training in some cases to help operators gain the necessary expertise for future competency assessments required by the Queensland regulatory authority for radiation matters.

The j.net project team created training documentation and PowerPoint presentations aimed specifically at licensed operators to supplement the vendor training manuals. Earlier experiences had demonstrated that training in smaller community hospitals requires a different perspective. ² The training guides developed were provided locally and posted on the QH intranet site to be available after project completion.

Practitioners providing radiographic and radiological services in rural and remote areas benefit from continuing education and support by radiographers.³ User support was provided by Telehealth radiographers, who were accessible by phone during installation and for some months after project completion. Although future support is essentially outside the scope of the j.net project, gaps were identified in the existing support model for licensed operators. Team members helped to redress this by providing input to the educational program of workshops organized by rural training units and the QH Skills Development Centre. Equipment for practical training was also installed at training institutions.

The greatest challenge by far was the transportation of staff carrying out onsite installation and training. Because some centers had limited accommodations, personnel needed to travel in and out on the same day. Access to hire car companies proved to be an issue in some remote locations.

Charter planes were used to reach many areas. Staff were dropped off in the morning, then picked up at the end of the day and returned to where they were staying.

All equipment was delivered by road. Weather affected access to some locations, causing delays in the installation schedule. Multiple methods of communication were used, including the establishment of a generic e-mail address allowing direct access to the project team. Project fact sheets were distributed via e-mail and in the post. Although most staff in QH have e-mail accounts, access to computers is limited at some facilities. Telephone contact was essential to confirm installation and training schedules.

PROJECT COMPLETION

The installation phase was completed within project timelines, with the final installation occurring at Croydon Hospital, north Queensland, on 23 June 2008. Use of local resources was pivotal in meeting project timelines. This aspect of the project involved identifying staff who were in the vicinity or paid regular visits to facilities.