A Queensland-designed virtual healthcare platform for children that aims to ease the burden on hospital emergency departments is one of 22 projects awarded a share of more than $2.6 million through the latest Advance Queensland funding.
The latest funding from the ninth round of the Ignite Ideas program was projected to generate more than 600 good jobs to diversify the Queensland economy.
Advance Queensland Ignite Ideas Fund supports innovative small-to-medium Queensland businesses and startups to take their innovative products or services to new national and international markets creating business growth and new jobs.
In this round $100,000 has been invested for Brisbane-based company Cub Care to expand their customised virtual paediatric ward.
The platform provides online healthcare consults for kids with qualified emergency doctors to treat conditions like fevers, rashes, minor head injuries, asthma, coughs and croup, avoiding the need to visit an emergency department, while still delivering quality healthcare and giving parents peace of mind.
The platform has already been trialled through a partnership with Darling Downs Health to provide free consults across the region and this Ignite Ideas funding will allow the company to expand their services further throughout the state.
Cub Care Operations have reported this project alone is expected to support 21 jobs during delivery and a further 100 within five years of completion, delivering good jobs, alongside better services for Queenslanders.
Co-founder Chris Horwill said that the support and funding from Ignite Ideas would be a game-changer in efforts to further promote Cub Care’s innovative service.
“We’re already seeing great results for this model of care thanks to the calibre of our clinicians and the careful design of our custom virtual platform and this funding is exactly what we needed to help bring the service to more Queenslanders.
“We’re able to provide families easy access to a paediatric virtual ward from the comfort and safety of their home and keep approximately 94% out of the emergency department, with very positive patient feedback.
“We see all patients up to 16yrs of age but particularly focus on the younger age groups with over 60% of patients under two years of age. These younger patients often make up a disproportionate amount of Emergency Department presentations.
“Considering this we believe we are seeing exceptional patient outcomes and significant cost savings for the public health system.”
Funding in the latest Ignite Ideas round also includes $100,000 for a world-first respiratory monitor and $197,950 for an app allowing people with a voice impairment to achieve a natural-sounding voice when communicating through a phone or online through platforms like Zoom.
Since the Ignite Ideas Fund launched in 2016, the Queensland Government has supported more than 385 Queensland businesses, awarding grants totalling almost $48 million.
Ignite Ideas funding has supported applicants from a diverse range of sectors including tourism, agriculture, advanced manufacturing, engineering, renewable energy, information technology, virtual reality, safety, and construction.
Previous Ignite Ideas recipients include Queensland-based manufacturer of advanced military robotic systems Gaardtech and Logan-based ed-tech company Go1, recently valued at $2 billion.
For more information and the full list of recipients, visit the Advance Queensland website.
