Telehealth
COVID-19: New Telehealth and telephone MBS items - expanded services from 13 March 2020
Telehealth services use information and communications technologies (ICTs) to deliver health services and transmit health information over both long and short distances. It is about transmitting voice, data, images and information rather than moving care recipients, health professionals or educators. It encompasses diagnosis, treatment, preventive (educational) and curative aspects of healthcare services and typically involves care recipient(s), care providers or educators in the provision of these services directed to the care recipient.
Telehealth is being used in the South Western Sydney region by many healthcare services and for more information on telehealth see the following resources:
Telehealth Solutions
SWSPHN encourage health services providing telehealth services to align with RACGP and MBS guidelines; telehealth solutions should be secure, encrypted and align with each practice’s policies. Below is a non-exhaustive list of telehealth solutions available and their contact details. SWSPHN encourages all health services to comprehensively conduct their own research before choosing a telehealth solution.
SWSPHN recommends: Healthdirect Video Call
- Free
- Web-based (no software installation required for both clinicians and patients)
- Will work on smartphones, tablets, laptops and PCs (minimum requirements apply)
- Allows screen sharing
- Allows document sharing
- Quick and easy onboarding of practices
- Accounts managed by PHNs
- Purpose-built for health providers to offer to their patients for teleconsultations
- Developed by Healthdirect Australia - a national, government-owned, not-for-profit organisation.
For more information please contact the Digital Partnerships team on DigitalHealth@swsphn.com.au or call SWSPHN on (02) 4632 3000
For other solutions see: Technology resources for COVID-19 (updated regularly from PulseIT+)
Telehealth Programs
- Department of Health - Telehealth
- Better Access - Telehealth Services for people in rural and remote areas
- NSW Health - Telehealth Strategy
- Consultant Psychiatry Service available in South Western Sydney
MBS Items for Telehealth
- Medicare - MBS and Telehealth
- Rural Health West - Reference Guide on Medicare Benefits Schedule Telehealth Items
