We know that accessing healthcare in rural, regional and remote areas can be challenging, and with only six large regional hospitals in WA, there is limited provider choice and often significant travel and/or wait times.
Over the past 30 years of my career, I have seen many shifts in the healthcare environment and patient expectations. But I believe one of the most valuable shifts for those living in our regions is telehealth, which allows health providers to provide better and more timely access to care for those living outside the city centres.
COVID-19 forces change
If there was one blessing from the pandemic, it was that COVID-19 forced health professionals to think differently about the way we provide healthcare and telehealth became an acceptable form of care.
Fast forward four years, and telehealth is changing the landscape of regional and rural care. Gone are the days where patients are required to travel from Christmas Island or Shark Bay for every single obstetric or gynaecology appointment.
Telehealth allows partners to ‘dial-in’ from mining sites to see the first scan of their baby in real time, and patients no longer have to experience the gruelling and stressful wait to receive test results at the next available in-person appointment.
So how does it work?
From my experience, telehealth is suitable in many settings and for various appointment types. Take an obstetric patient living in Monkey Mia for example – I would request to see the patient in-person for their initial appointment to allow a physical assessment, build rapport and set expectations.
The patient would then have the option to book the next appointment as an in-person appointment or via telehealth. This would continue until the eighth month of gestation, alternating with an in-person appointment every first month and a telehealth appointment every second month.
By utilising local services such as general practitioners, nursing stations and pharmacies, blood pressure, weigh-ins and other tests can occur locally, reducing the need to travel. I order routine blood tests and urine dip sticks for protein and the patient tests themselves during the day and show me via video link.
If the patient needs medical advice outside of these times, say they develop a skin condition, they send me a photo of the rash and then we arrange to meet within the next few hours thanks to Zoom. During this digital meeting, the patient can show me the skin concern using their device camera and I can send a script to their local pharmacy, which saves considerable time and ensures a timely diagnosis and response.
This system also allows me to deliver important results quickly.
For example, if I see a patient for a colposcopy and receive their biopsy result on a Friday, I can arrange a quick telehealth appointment on Friday or Saturday to allow us to discuss the results and arrange a follow-up in-person appointment on the Monday. I have found that this reduces the associated anxiety and the mental anguish that occurs when waiting for test results.
An added benefit for the patient is that all telehealth appointments can be bulk-billed through Medicare.
The future of telehealth
I believe telehealth is here to stay and offers an invaluable solution to the healthcare challenges faced by regional and remote communities. Today, patients are more health literate and expect more from their healthcare providers. While I do not advertise telehealth, I am finding more and more patients requesting this form of healthcare and am happy to oblige.
As clinicians, we have a duty to our patients to evolve with the times and their needs, as this will lead to better care and ultimately, better patient outcomes.
Together, we can build better practice beyond the walls of our physical practices to ensure we are effectively connecting with our patients, regardless of where they reside.
Key messages
- Telehealth is changing the landscape of regional and rural care, and is suitable in many settings for various appointment types
- Patient demand for telehealth is increasing
- Health professionals have an integral role to play in offering services that meet patient needs.
Author competing interests – nil