Anthony C Smith

The University of Queensland, Royal Children's Hospital

Papers

Total Citations

180

H-Index

About

Anthony C Smith is a pioneering researcher in paediatric telehealth, whose work has fundamentally reshaped how specialist care reaches children in rural and remote communities. His key research areas include telemedicine systems design, mobile health robotics, and the evaluation of telepaediatric service delivery models. Smith’s most significant contribution is the establishment and long-term study of the Queensland Telepaediatric Service (QTS), initiated in 2000. This service, which facilitated nearly 19,000 video consultations over 13 years, demonstrated that telemedicine can be both cost-effective and highly accepted by patients and clinicians. His landmark paper, “Telemedicine across the ages” (138 citations), highlighted the slow uptake of telemedicine while showcasing the success of mobile “robot” videoconferencing systems in Queensland. Smith also advanced the field by designing novel mobile telemedicine platforms, creatively described in “robots, fish and other stories,” for delivering neonatal and paediatric care across vast distances—up to 3,000 km. His work on pre- and post-operative surgical telehealth has provided a robust evidence base for expanding telepaediatric services globally. Through rigorous evaluation and practical innovation, Smith has become a leading voice in making specialist paediatric care accessible, equitable, and sustainable for underserved populations.