Telehealth involves using videoconferencing for medical consultations between health professionals and patients, and can also be used for supervision and education purposes.
In addition, the innovative technology enables greater connectivity between healthcare professionals.
This increased level of communication can result in more integrated care for patients and also lower the levels of professional isolation often experienced by healthcare workers in rural and remote communities.
The project to promote telehealth in medical specialist care - funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA) - has been welcomed by the RACP. The Physicians Telehealth Support Project aims to encourage the use of telehealth to increase access to specialist medical care.
The RACP said telehealth is a significant tool which can improve patient healthcare outcomes through innovative technology that reduces distance, travel, time and cost barriers to healthcare.
“Telehealth has the capacity to improve healthcare access to at-risk patient groups,” said RACP occupational medicine fellow and telehealth expert Dr David Allen.
“Patient feedback from telehealth consultations is uniformly very positive.
“Patients are often extremely appreciative to not have to travel long distances to access specialists.
"Those living in residential aged care facilities, and patients located in rural and remote communities will particularly benefit from greater use of telehealth.
“Increased uptake of telehealth by physicians has the potential to address the progressively complex challenges the Australian health landscape faces.
“While telehealth is not new, the technology involved has improved significantly in recent years and the government has provided additional funding for consultations and support funding to encourage greater uptake by medical practitioners,” Dr Allen said.
Successful implementation of the project will see an increase in access to specialist medical care, and increased levels of connectivity between healthcare professionals.
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Quelle/Source: Farm Weekly, 08.08.2012
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