Telehealth is fast sweeping the world in becoming the preferred method of health care. Different countries have different ways of implementing this relatively new business model, with varying degrees of success. Australia, unfortunately, is a bit lacking in that department due to several reasons.
This article aims to discuss the current climate of Australia with regards to telehealth. It also discusses possible future advances that the country can pursue to further implement this model for the benefit of the medical industry as well as patients alike.
What is Telehealth?
Telehealth, by its strictest definition, is the use of technology to connect patients with doctors by providing services that automate or save resources. These can come in the form of the following:
- Video conferencing
- Online patient and hospital portals
- Remote monitoring apps and trackers
- Online prescription and ordering of medicines
Telehealth has been proven to save time for processing as well as for travel. It has also been shown to reduce expenses which translate to lower medical costs. Lastly, patients can also be provided with immediate medical assistance that is of high quality, adding value to the cost of health care.
Benefits of Telehealth
The benefits of telehealth can be summed up in one word: convenience.
A telehealth visit allows you to connect with your doctor from anywhere in the world, at any time that’s convenient for you. You can use this feature to set up an appointment, ask a question or discuss your symptoms via video chat or phone call. It’s also great for follow-up care since you can easily reschedule or add in new appointments on the fly as needed.
Telehealth is also affordable because it eliminates the need for an office visit. Instead, you pay a flat fee per session and no co-pay or deductible is required. And if you need additional care beyond what a telehealth provider can provide, there will still be no additional charges related to travel time or mileage – everything is included in your monthly fee!
Telehealth has become a rapidly growing field in recent years. It offers many benefits to patients and providers alike, including:
Convenience: Patients no longer have to travel long distances for routine medical appointments or specialist care. Telehealth allows them to connect with doctors from home, work or school so they don’t have to take time off from their regular daily activities.
Cost savings: Telehealth can reduce the need for expensive trips to the doctor’s office or hospital emergency department by providing an alternative way for patients to receive care when they are ill or injured. This can result in cost savings for both insurers and employers that provide health insurance coverage for their employees.
Increased access: Telehealth services increase access by providing access to health care when it may not otherwise be available due to lack of transportation or physical distance from a provider’s office or clinic. They also allow patients who live in rural areas or remote regions where there are few physicians available nearby to seek treatment without having to travel long distances away from home.
How is Telehealth in Australia?
The definition of telehealth in Australia is somewhat a bit restrictive. According to the Australian Department of Human Health Services, telehealth is currently limited to health services through consultations via videoconferencing. However, this is just another facet of telehealth. While many startup companies are currently in the midst of developing further advances to the present landscape of telehealth in the country, different reasons have been preventing them to take off.
The Australian government also restricts users of telehealth to specific groups, preventing the public from access to these features. According to the DOH, only those who are at least 15 kilometers away from the doctor or specialist is allowed to access videoconferencing features. Furthermore, only select locations are considered to be telehealth eligible, such as those who are outside of major cities in Australia.
Future of Australian Telehealth
While Australia is a bit slow in adapting telehealth in the country, there is a lot of hope in the development of technologies as well as implementation of this model in the coming months and years. This is of particular importance especially during the current COVID 19 outbreak that has forced even those with valid medical conditions from traveling. Further acceptance and improvement in the scope of telehealth can greatly help during this crisis and beyond.
Online Prescriptions and Ordering
This feature is already available in many countries that have already implemented telehealth for a number of years. In many countries, prescriptions sent online are honored by most pharmacies, and orders can be picked up or delivered anywhere from within an hour to a couple of days after orders have been placed. Prescriptions can be sent via email or printed through an online patient portal. This is a great way as, aside from the convenience that it provides for patients who no longer need to go to the hospital or clinic to get a prescription from the doctor, but online prescription can also be stored so that treatment history can easily be retrieved for review and analysis for whatever purpose it may serve.
Remote Monitoring
There are various apps and wearables that are geared towards consumers. These apps and devices are able to track anywhere from number of steps taken, calories burned, number of sleep hours, and even heart rates. What’s missing, though, is its use in the medical field to track a patient’s health history. Likewise, medical trackers such as blood glucose monitors and even blood pressure monitors can provide a ton of information that can be useful for medical practitioners to better monitor their patients’ health.
Store and Forward Scans and Tests
Telehealth provides functionalities which allow for tests to be taken from one place, with the results to be forwarded to a specialist or GP in another. In some cases, tests can also be done in the comfort of one’s home with the use of a high quality camera. Once the test has been completed, these results will automatically be sent to your doctor for review. This provides a lot of convenience, once implemented in Australia, as travel time will be significantly reduced, especially if the clinic and your doctor are located in different areas. Test results may also take a few days to come back, and telehealth provides the benefit of you no longer needing to return to the clinic to get these as the results will be electronically sent to where it needs to be.
Store and forward technology is a concept that will greatly benefit Australians, especially those who are located in faraway locations with limited access to transport and who are far away from health care facilities. Those who have limited mobility can greatly benefit from this as well.
Wider Telehealth Coverage
Perhaps the greatest advantage of telehealth is the fact that it allows for quick and remote interactions between patients and doctors, and all you would need is a computer or mobile device as well as the Internet. With this, even those who are on the farthest reaches of the country can get high quality health care from literally anywhere they want in Australia.
While the target users of telehealth in Australia is somewhat limited, it can be foreseen that rapid acceptance will be made in the very near future, perhaps early this year. Restrictions on who can avail of telehealth will be loosened, and more patients as well as doctors will be able to access this system.
Conclusion
Ultimately, telehealth services in Australia will only grow in the future as more applications and devices are developed with the intention of improving patient care, cost-effectiveness, and convenience. Although digital health solutions are continually evolving, there is no denying that they have proven to be powerful agents of change that are revolutionizing the healthcare industry across the globe. With so much potential telehealth holds for Australia and its patients, it seems certain that this sector has a promising future ahead.
While the adoption of telehealth in Australia has lagged as compared to other countries such as China, Indonesia, and Singapore, we can foresee a rapid acceptance as well as major improvements in this field. We can further expect startups and initiatives to further develop technologies in telehealth to improve coverage of features and functionalities. We can also predict more support from the Australian government to have a solid telehealth structure to benefit citizens who want high quality health care that is efficient, accurate, and accessible for all.
FAQs
- What is the future of telehealth in Australia?
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as the future of telehealth in Australia will largely depend on the country’s specific healthcare needs and priorities. However, it is generally agreed that telehealth has great potential to improve the efficiency and quality of healthcare delivery in Australia, and to make healthcare more accessible and affordable for patients.
- What are the main benefits of telehealth?
There are many potential benefits of telehealth, including improved access to care, increased efficiency of care delivery, and improved health outcomes. Telehealth can also help to reduce the cost of healthcare delivery, as it can reduce the need for travel and accommodation costs for patients and carers.
- What are the main challenges facing telehealth in Australia?
One of the main challenges facing telehealth in Australia is the lack of infrastructure and investment in the technology. This means that many healthcare providers do not have the necessary equipment or resources to offer telehealth services. Another challenge is the lack of awareness and understanding of telehealth among both healthcare providers and the general public.
- What are the government’s policies on telehealth?
The Australian government has been supportive of the development of telehealth, and has invested in several initiatives to promote the use of telehealth in the country. However, there is still room for improvement in terms of government policies and regulations around telehealth.
- What is the future of telehealth in Australia?
The future of telehealth in Australia is bright, and the potential benefits of the technology are significant. However, there are still some challenges that need to be addressed in order for telehealth to reach its full potential in the country.