Telehealth is the distribution of health services and information via electronic telecommunication technologies. The most important aspect of Telehealth is that it gives the Patient the option of seeing a Doctor in the comfort of their own home.
Telehealth is fast becoming a more efficient way of providing Health Care to the community.
Telehealth is fully supported by the Health Care Home model and they have put together a resource directory that you can access at the link https://www.healthcarehome.org.nz/hch-moc-overview
See the following link to the Telehealth Forum and Resource Centre: https://www.telehealth.org.nz/
Benefits of Telehealth
- For patients: Faster access to care and shorter wait times. Remote patients can remain close to home, making consultations more convenient and reducing travel
- DHBs: Fairer health system because of better access to care. More educational options for DHB staff via specialist video training
- Specialists/consultants: Less time spent travelling for consultations. Greater control over scheduling. Closer working relationship between specialists and primary care
- Aged care workers/nurses: Reduced need to transfer older patients. Increases nurses’ knowledge through more exposure to specialist consultations
- General practitioners: GPs who serve rural health facilities need to travel less frequently. Store and forward allows for accessible referrals and second opinions
- Allied health workers: Rehabilitation and physiotherapy can take place via videoconference, meaning less time and budget spent on travel.
Click here for Ministry of Health Telehealth Information
Telehealth can be delivered using any of the following technologies
- Phone Consultations including phone triage
- Video Consultations
- Patient Portal
Another good resource provided through the Health Care Home collaborative is attached in the link below. This is a recording of a webinar that covers the topics of:
- Clinical Triage, practical implementation and workflow
- Technical Support and Licensing
- Telehealth Including consumer focus
Health Care Home Collaborative Webinar
Co-Payments
There is no expectation that Virtual consults will be provided free to the patient. We understand that it can be difficult to collect a co-payment virtually, we are working with key people nationally to implement systems and processes that make this easier for you.