Dr Ash Collins, a GP based in Temora in regional NSW, said that his practice had been using telemedicine over the last 18 months over a 100 kbps link. Although this was already delivering benefits, and had saved patients about 160 500 km round trips to see specialists in major metropolitan areas, higher internet speeds would improve the quality of care.
He said that he was recently in Japan and Korea where 100 Mbps network connections are available and that “the quality was fantastic.”
He said that in Australia while existing network speeds did allow telehealth services to be delivered it was; “Like driving a Toyota and expecting a Ferrari.”
Dr Collins said that access to higher speed internet would allow a higher quality image to be displayed, which could improve the quality of care. Howeverwith regard to the cost of the NBN rollout he acknowledged that “You’ve got to look at your pocket to see if you can afford a Ferrari.”
Doctors’ pockets are already feeling the pinch as since July 1, the $6,000 lump sum that was initially offered by the Federal government to doctors investing in telehealth related IT has been sliced to $4,800 which will now also be paid in instalments. All telehealth incentive payments are scheduled to end in 2014.
Also from November a minimum 15 km restriction will be placed on telehealth consultations eligible for Medicare rebates, except where the patient is a resident in an aged care facility or a patient of an Aboriginal Medical Service.
Dr Collins said that to date only 12,000 telehealth rebate claims had been processed by Medicare, which he said was a slower uptake than anticipated. He said that more telehealth awareness was needed in order to promote more adoption of the technology.
Besides his role as a GP Dr Collins has established a business called Telemedicine Australia which has developed software to manage telemedicine consultations and is also establishing a register of doctors around the country who are providing telehealth services, which is integrated with Google Maps.
Telemedicine Australia also puts together telemedicine carts which can be loaded with LifeSize videoconferencing equipment and a range of different telehealth devices such as digital stethoscopes or opthalmoscopes. The company has recently sold 23 such carts for use in regional hospitals in India and Pakistan, which can then connect to larger hospitals and specialists in major cities.
Dr Collins said that each cart was configured specifically for an application, so a cart being used for dermatology consultations might feature a dermascope. He said that the cost of a fully configured cart ranged from $10,000 to $80,000 depending on the telemedicine devices that were required.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Beverley Head
Quelle/Source: iTWire, 06.08.2012
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