From 2023–2025, The University of Queensland’s Centre for Online Health partnered with the Cooperative Research Centre for Developing Northern Australia (CRCNA) to strengthen telehealth capability and mental health service delivery across Northern Australia. This three-year initiative aimed to build workforce capacity, reduce professional isolation, and improve access to care closer to home through digitally enabled education and telementoring.

Two accredited Project ECHO® programs were implemented: Telehealth Skills ECHO and Health eMinds ECHO. Over the project period, 25 Telehealth Skills ECHO sessions (916 participants) and 22 Health eMinds ECHO sessions (615 participants) were delivered, attracting more than 1,500 attendances overall. An additional nine telehealth training workshops engaged 69 participants across Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory. Fifty-three partner organisations were involved in the program.

Evaluation findings demonstrate strong impact. More than 85% of survey respondents reported improved knowledge and skills in telehealth or mental health practice, and 68% reported reduced professional isolation. Workshop participants reported very high satisfaction (mean score was 5.2/6), highlighting the relevance and practical value of the training.

An economic analysis compared the cost ($AUD) of delivering education online with equivalent in-person delivery in Brisbane. Estimated savings from the ECHO programs ranged from $3.6 million to $12.9 million, depending on travel assumptions. Telehealth workshop delivery generated a further estimated $335,000 in avoided travel-related costs. Additional projected savings associated with reduced workforce turnover and professional isolation suggest potential system-level benefits exceeding $500,000 per 10,000 primary care consultations.

This presentation will describe the program model, key outcomes, economic implications, and lessons learned for scalable workforce development across Northern Australia.