Telehealth benefits for Doctors

Following recent changes to COVID-19 MBS subsidies for long telehealth consultations, healthcare providers may be wondering if telehealth remains beneficial.

Despite intense lobbying from the Australian Medical Association and Royal Australian College of General Practitioners to extend the MBS-funded telehealth rules beyond their expiry date, the Australian Government ceased the arrangements on 30 June 2022.

Telehealth can have many benefits for patients, but let’s have a look at how they benefit medical professionals.

Ability to see patients remotely

Telehealth makes it easier to provide medical care to patients from anywhere at any time, particularly if medical practitioners are monitoring for symptoms or needing to isolate due to illness. Greater flexibility makes it easier to balance work with life and means healthcare providers can provide patient care at a time that suits them, as well as their patients.

Remote patient monitoring made easier

If you need to monitor your patients at a distance, telehealth can make the process easier. Regular telehealth visits are an excellent complement to other forms of remote monitoring and can help ensure your patient stays on track with their medical care, wherever they might be. With telehealth, remote monitoring can be more effective and less time consuming than providing in person care.

Easier access to other health care providers

If your patients need specialist health care, telehealth gives them access to a wider range of specialists than they would otherwise have. It’s also easier for you as a health care practitioner to collaborate with other practitioners who might be located anywhere – even in another country. By widening the health care services you work with, you can improve patient outcomes and give your patients access to a range of treatment options they might not have been able to access before.

Improved patient satisfaction

To build and maintain a sustainable medical practice, you need to keep your patients happy. And with increasing numbers of patients now expecting to access flexible telehealth appointments, if you don’t offer telehealth, your patients may look elsewhere. Providing a good patient experience is one of the most important telehealth benefits – and as a doctor you’ll benefit from greater patient loyalty and retention.

Telehealth is here to stay and it has many benefits for doctors and healthcare practitioners as well as patients. From greater flexibility, and better access to specialists and services to improved patient outcomes, embracing telehealth can help your practice stay ahead and meet evolving patient needs.