Four Key Benefits of Telehealth in Australia
Telehealth has become a cornerstone in the Australian health sector over the past few years.
It helps to deliver high-quality care but in a smarter way by bridging the gap between medical professionals and their patients through a smart device.
Between March 2020 and mid-2022, over 118 million telehealth services were delivered in Australia. That’s nearly 18m people connecting with healthcare providers without stepping foot in a clinic.
Read on as we explore four key benefits of this groundbreaking service.
Building Support for Mental Health
It took a long time for mental health to be treated with the same importance as the rest of healthcare. Many people still struggle to access the help they need.
However, things have changed since telehealth went mainstream. It offers a more discreet and accessible pathway for people to receive mental health support.
Not every telehealth platform can match the high quality of care required in this area, but that is where Medicompare comes in.
Medicompare makes it easy to compare providers and find trusted, affordable care. Companies such as InstantScripts, Hola and Updoc are major players in Australia.
Telehealth is heavily backed by the government. They made changes to Medicare that paved the way for patients to access psychologists and psychiatrists online, and the response has been outstanding.
Being able to access qualified specialists online is particularly encouraging for those who have struggled in silence or are anxious about travelling miles for face-to-face visits.
Closing the Distance for People in Remote Areas
Australia is one of the largest countries in the world by land mass, so it is far from surprising that there many people find it difficult to access quality healthcare.
It’s a predominant issue for anyone living in remote areas, where medical services are few and far between. They could spend hours on the road just to make a routine general practitioner (GP) visit.
But telehealth is turning the landscape on its head. Rather than asking patients to come to the clinic, telehealth brings the clinic to them, and its value cannot be overstated.
The Australian government has recognised the importance of telehealth and is already calling it ‘a critical part of ensuring continuity of care’ for rural patients.
Long-term care, managing chronic diseases, mental health support and follow-ups are all being delivered consistently and effectively through virtual appointments.
Managing Chronic Illness with a Modern Touch
Chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, asthma and heart disease require round-the-clock attention and regular check-ins.
And telehealth brings a new way to manage these critical conditions – one that fits into people’s lives rather than disrupting them. Through virtual appointments, patients can seamlessly check in with their healthcare providers.
Instead of waiting weeks for a face-to-face appointment or suffering the inconvenience of travelling a long distance, they can now have conversations through video.
GPs can check symptoms, tweak medications, review key medical data like blood pressure or glucose levels and even offer a verdict on a patient’s health.
In most cases, they can complete these tasks without having to perform a physical exam. Virtual care helps patients stick to their treatment plans and reduces the risk of lapses in care.
Health professionals have also observed that patients feel more likely to stay on track, follow up on recommendations, and be more proactive with self-care through telehealth.
High Quality of Care and Patient Satisfaction
When telehealth first surfaced, there were question marks about whether virtual care could match a face-to-face visit in terms of quality.
A few years down the line, it's fair to say the answer to that burning question couldn’t be any clearer.
Telehealth in Australia is structured to prioritise the safety of patients and make sure they get the best possible care, even if it’s through a screen.
Not every condition can be handled online, but there are professional guidelines that determine what category each case falls under.
A national study shows that 87 percent of patients said they received the information they needed during a telehealth consultation. More than 80% said they felt respected and heard.
But what caught the eye the most was the fact that nearly nine out of ten patients said they would choose telehealth again.
That’s an outstanding level of satisfaction in a system that was once considered a temporary fix.