The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in rapid changes to the way Australians access health care. We’re now using telehealth more than ever.
Last week’s federal budget confirmed a six-month extension of Medicare subsidies for telehealth consultations, worth A$2.4 billion. It also included A$18.6 million for the preparation of permanent telehealth infrastructure beyond March 31 next year.
This goes some way to recognising telehealth is not only an important tool in our pandemic response — it’s much needed in our health system.
To fully realise the potential of telehealth, we need to recognise it’s more than just appointments via phone or videoconference.
COVID-19: a game changer for telehealth in Australia
In March, telehealth services were funded for all Australians under the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS).
The package covered phone and videoconsultations with GPs, specialists, nurse practitioners and allied health professionals (like physiotherapists, social workers and psychologists). This complemented existing MBS funding for medical videoconsultations for people in rural communities.
We saw a rapid uptake — more than 35% of MBS-funded consultations were conducted via telehealth in April 2020.
There’s more to telehealth than phone calls and videoconferencing
There are three main forms of telehealth: “real-time”, “store-and-forward” and “remote patient monitoring”.
- Real-time is largely what we’ve got in place now — clinical consultations via phone and videoconferencing.
During the pandemic, health professionals have heavily favoured telephone over videoconsultations. More than 91% of MBS-funded telehealth services are delivered by phone.
While telephone can be effective in some situations (for example, history taking, triaging or referrals), videoconsultations can vastly improve the likelihood the clinician will make an accurate diagnosis.
Evidence shows videoconsultations can be as effective as in-person consultations, when it’s appropriate to use telehealth, regardless of the type of clinician.
- Store-and-forward is the collection of clinical information and the process of sending it online.
A common example is when a patient or their GP photographs a skin lesion and sends the image to a dermatologist for an opinion and management advice.
Store-and-forward services exist in small silos in Australia. They often rely on hospital or commercial funding for support because they’re not currently funded on the MBS.
Store-and-forward services are offered around the world for a variety of conditions. Evidence shows they make services more accessible and cost-effective, and clinicians are generally satisfied with them.