The health practitioner regulator is now asking doctors to conduct telehealth where possible in light of the fuel crisis.
AHPRA is now asking all practitioners, but particularly those in regional and remote areas of Australia, to “consider whether telehealth is an appropriate alternative” during the petrol crisis.
In a statement published late last week, the regulator said practitioners can “play a role in supporting patients and the healthcare system to avoid unnecessary travel” when it is safe to do so.
Suggested actions included replacing regular home visits with telehealth check-ins and opting for telehealth over standard face-to-face consults where clinically appropriate.
“Ahpra and the National Boards are concerned patients may avoid health services altogether if their travel costs become too expensive,” AHPRA CEO Justin Untersteiner said.
“Practitioners should carefully consider whether telehealth is an appropriate alternative to in-person consultations. We want to ensure people get the care they need without compromising on quality and safety.”
Just last year, the regulator released new guidance clarifying its position on what it considers to be “good” telehealth.
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This asked doctors to “continuously assess the appropriateness of using telehealth for the consultation and make arrangements for the patient to be seen in-person” and warned against prescribing in situations where the practitioner and patient had never met in person.
GPs were also prohibited from billing Medicare for patients they had not consulted with in person for the previous 12 months, with some exceptions for mental health planning and treatment.
Associate Professor Michael Clements, a Queensland GP who works across MM2 to 7 regions, told The Medical Republic that deciding whether to take a consult to telehealth was a matter of balancing patient needs, community needs and the available resources.
“There’s a lot going on in our heads, it’s fair to say,” he said.
“What we’re trying to do – and certainly the agencies that are doing outreach have always shown this in the past, including during covid – is prioritise excellent clinical care, which often means just going ahead and doing the face-to-face visit, because the evidence is clear that telehealth really only works as an adjunct to face-to-face care.
“It does not replace the quality that comes from an ongoing therapeutic relationship with a clinician that includes opportunities for face-to-face engagement and review.
“It’s definitely on our minds. It is very hard to tell when you’re at the coalface how many people are choosing not to come in just because of fuel, so we will continue to offer a mix of telehealth where possible.”
Professor Clements said he understood why AHPRA would be supportive of telehealth, given the petrol shortages, but that he “certainly wouldn’t like to see anybody use this as a wedge or as an opportunity to start promoting telehealth-only services”.
