Existing services will be expanded and new videoconferencing facilities built to boost access to doctors and nurses in the bush -- and also ease pressure in cities through innovations such as home care for the elderly, remote monitoring of chronic conditions and routine tele-health check-ups.
And the Gillard government isn't waiting for the National Broadband Network to push the initiative, despite committing a further $4 million for telehealth trials at "first release" sites in NSW this month.
During the election campaign, Julia Gillard committed $250m over four years to fund the Medicare rebates -- removing a huge financial barrier to widespread adoption -- plus $57m for incentives for GP and specialist uptake, and $35m for training.
A Health Department spokeswoman told The Australian that while these measures would be enhanced by the NBN, "they are not totally dependent on it".
"Some surgeries are already equipped for online consultations and will be able to start delivering these services straight away," she said. "As the NBN rolls out over the next eight years, surgeries around the country will be supported with the bandwidth to deliver the services of today, as well as those of tomorrow."
Health Minister Nicola Roxon has called for comment on the proposals by the end of January.
"The government recognises that while consultations at a distance will not always be an adequate substitute, online technology means consultations largely involving the exchange of information (as opposed to a physical examination) can be satisfactorily carried out over the internet," Ms Roxon's discussion paper says.
"Despite the strength of the case for tele-health, its adoption in Australia has to date been limited. While there are some outstanding examples, many areas in need of these kinds of services continue to go without."
The government envisages videolinks operating between city-based specialists and local GPs, aged-care and community centres and even pharmacies.
Patients will consult with the specialist in the company of a local doctor, nurse or other health professional. To take advantage of existing systems, the government says technical requirements for Medicare rebates will not be "prescriptive".
"However, a reasonable assurance will be required that a GP and specialist will be able to connect promptly and conduct the consultation without technical interference," the paper says.
"One key issue will be the different demands. Certain medical specialties may require a higher level of video resolution than others, while others will require higher data transmission capacities."
The government is also boosting consumer access to after-hours medical information, with $50m allocated to the national call centre, HealthDirect, allowing doctors and nurses to conduct clinical assessments and provide advice via videoconferencing.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Karen Dearne
Quelle/Source: Australian IT, 14.1.2010
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