After five years, over 100 clinical committees and groups and the hard work of more than 700 clinicians, health system experts and consumer advisers, the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) Review Taskforce has finalised its review of the MBS. The Taskforce’s final advice to the Australian Government, including its recommendations, is now available on the Department of Health website.
Telehealth was consistently raised during the course of the Review as a means of improving the MBS and harnessing technology to better provide health care, particularly for people in regional areas or with complex care needs that prevented them from attending a practice.
The Taskforce has developed a set of Principles as part of its Telehealth Report to underpin and guide the ongoing use of telehealth in the Australian health care setting. These Principles will help ensure any ongoing telehealth items are used appropriately and deliver safe, quality, high value care for consumers.
These Principles are that Telehealth:
- Should be patient-focused, and based on patient need, rather than geographical location
- Must support and facilitate safe and quality services that demonstrate clinical efficacy for patients
- Should be provided in the context of continuity of care between patient and practitioner
- Must not create unintended consequences or perverse incentives that undermine the role of face-to-face care
- Should prefer video over phone, as video offers richer information transfer, with fewer limited exceptions being allowed over time