The pros and cons of telehealth
Telehealth is here to stay. While medical, health and therapy consultations have been available via telehealth for many years, the COVID-19 pandemic really brought this new form of dispensing healthcare to the forefront.
From lockdowns to isolation for positive cases and close contacts, telehealth became extraordinarily important for the continuation of disability care, allied health therapy and mental health support.
Telehealth is here to stay
While (hopefully) the COVID pandemic is behind us for the most part, we’re glad to say that telehealth is well and truly here to stay. In fact. The Medicare Benefits Schedules will continue to provide funding for the provision of these services.
And if that’s not indicative enough of the importance of this relatively new channel of care, consider the following statistics:
- As of February 2022, more than 91,000 health practitioners around Australia have used telehealth. (Source: Digitalhealth.gov.au)
- Almost 30% of Australians have used telehealth (Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics)
- Approximately 85% of users were satisfied and reported that the telehealth clinicians listened carefully, showed respect and spent enough time with them. (Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics)
- As of March 2022, 100 million services were provided via telehealth across Australia. (Source: Office of the Former Minister for Health and Aged Care)
What exactly is telehealth?
Telehealth refers to any consultation, appointment or therapy related to healthcare that is provided via a technology such as a telephone or video call.
This is in contrast to healthcare provided in clinic or face to face in another setting, such as home visits and schools.
How does telehealth work?
You can get a good idea how we conduct telehealth assessments and therapy by reading our introductory guide to telehealth Autism Spectrum Disorder Assessments.
Pros of telehealth
1. Access for clients who can’t leave home
There could be any number of reasons why someone can’t travel to their healthcare provider. They might be too unwell and infectious (or even in isolation), not able to access isolation or might not be able to leave the house because of their caring responsibilities or anxiety.
Whatever the reason, tele-based healthcare brings much needed support to the client.
2. Availability to remote locations
7 million Australians (about 28% of the total population in this country) live in remote or rural locations. Often, their access to in-person healthcare is limited if not non-existent. Remotely provided healthcare and therapy allows them to enjoy the same access to care that their fellow Aussies in metro areas often take for granted.
3. Less travel
Health accessed remotely saves clients in time, effort and money by meaning there is no need to travel. Whether you normally drive your private vehicle, use rideshare or taxis, or take the bus, it’s more convenient and cost effective to receive tele-consultations.
4. More services for more clients
The efficiency, time-saving and practical nature of therapy services via a tele-platform allow more individuals to be reached across more services and therapy types. There can be a variety of barriers preventing people from getting the healthcare they need, many of which are removed with telehealth.
5. Fewer No-Shows
Telehealth effectively reduces the number of no-shows and did-not-arrives. It’s not just the added convenience and ease of accessibility, but the fact that by the time a client realised they’ve forgotten to attend an appointment accidentally, it’s likely too late for them to then make the trip. With instant access to tele-services, this problem is greatly reduced for both providers and clients.
6. Flexibility
By its very nature, in-clinic appointments can only take place in one place: in clinic! Accessing telehealth gives you the flexibility to work within a schedule that suits you. Whether you connect with your therapist at home or on the road between errands, it’s up to you and your convenience how you do it.
7. Less Time Waiting
There’s yet another way in which telehealth delivers more with less and cuts down on the inconvenience, time expenditure and hassle. Due to the fact that you’re not travelling anywhere, you don’t need to take into account traffic conditions. That means no need to arrive early and no waiting around in a reception area. Simply connect when you’re ready and it’s time for your appointment.
Cons of telehealth
1. Limited services
At One Central Health, just about all of our allied health therapy and clinical assessments can be done through telehealth. But this is not always the case. For example, physiotherapists may be more limited in what they can achieve than say a mental health clinician.
2. Requirements
To connect for remote services, you will need access to a few items and pieces of equipment.
- Computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone.
- A separate webcam and speaker if it’s not built into the device.
- A stable, high quality and speedy internet connection.
Additionally, you’ll also need to make sure you have a suitable space in your home or venue where you have the room, confidentiality and comfort that you’d have in clinic.
3. Security
At One Central Health, we take your safety and the security of your data and personal information very seriously. That’s why we always use secure, industry-approved programs for telehealth such as Cliniko and Coviu.
Make sure that any telehealth provider is always using a secure, reputable program.
Telehealth at OCH
The team at One Central Health provide telehealth services across just about all of our services, including:
- Psychology
- Occupational Therapy
- Speech Pathology
- Behaviour Therapy
- Dietetics
- Autism Assessments
- Counselling
To find out more or to book your therapy, call us today on (08) 9344 1318.
