Let’s talk Telehealth

Bunbury Wednesday 10th April 2013

Lesley Pugh

What is Telehealth?

Telehealth is defined as a consultation between a health consumer and a healthcare

provider employing the simultaneous real-time use of both an audio and visual

connection.

Aims Of Telehealth:

•Remove barriers around accessing medical services, particularly in rural and remote areas

•Facilitate improved patient care

Estimated cost savings for Emily and Matt

Explanation Expenses Amounts

Visit 1:Travel to Toowoomba with no overnight stay (371 km)

Childcare. Unpaid leave Matt. Petrol Food and consumables

$674.24

Visit 2: Travel to Toowoomba with overnight stay (371 km) and friend to help look after children

Childcare. Unpaid leave Matt. Petrol Food and consumablesAccommodation

$894.54

Visit 3:Travel to Toowoomba with no overnight stay (371 km)

Childcare. Unpaid leave Matt. Petrol Food and consumables

$674.24

Total costs $2243.02

Telehealth considerations

• Appoint a clinic champion• Setting up your clinic

– Staff education– Talk IT– Protocols and processes– Establishing a Telehealth space– Troubleshooting & back up plans

• The Telehealth consultation– Clinical factors– Documentation

• After the consultation– Feedback– Lessons learned

MBS Eligibility Practitioner Rules Eligibility Item number

Specialist Registered specialist No restrictions

Patient end GP’s, NP’s, PN’s Midwives & AHW’s

Telehealth eligible areas

Practice nurses Register nurses on behalf on GP

Telehealth eligible areas

10983

Aboriginal Health Worker

AHW on behalf of a GP

No restrictions 10983

Midwives With a provider number

Telehealth eligible area

821508215182152

Nurse Practitioners

With a provider number

Telehealth eligible area

822208222182222

Registered aged care Facilities

Must register with Medicare

No restrictionsr

Patient-end ServicesMBS item descriptor Video consultation

paymentFace to face payment

A :lasting at least 5 min. 2100 $22.45 3 $16.60

B: lasting less than 20 min. 2126 $48.95 23 $36.30

C: lasting at least 20 min. 2143 $94.95 36 $70.30

D: lasting at least 40 min. 2195 $139.70 44 $103.50

Item 10983 $32.40

Extra information

• Time based consultations• Multiple consultations on same day• Multiple telehealth consultations on the same day• Nurse item numbers not time based

Thinking outside the Telehealth box

• Sometimes driven by the MBS eligibility when that might not be the most important outcome.. • Improved patient health outcomes• Improved communication and collaboration between

health professionals• Improved confidence for GP’s • Sense of importance of care for patients • Consider an out of pocket fee for patients

Frequently asked questions

Question Yes NoCan Telehealth consultations be conducted for hospital inpatients Are Telephone consults considered a Telehealth consultation Do specialists have area eligibility restrictions Do Aged Care Facilities have area eligibility restrictions Does the GP need to be in the consultation for the entire time

Nursing and Midwifery Telehealth Consortia

Education • 4 hour online education being developed• Module 1 & 2 available now and further 7 modules progressively

available over next month• Registration www.apna.asn.au/telehealth

Standards and Guidelines• Being developed by ANF• Due for release late March 2013

Telehealth consortia partners

Australian Practice Nurses Association (APNA) www.apna.asn.auAustralian Nursing Federation (ANF) www.anf.org.auAustralian College of Midwives (ACM) www.midwives.org.auAustralian College of Nurse Practitioners (ACNP) www.acnp.org.auCouncil of Remote and Rural Nurses (Cranaplus)www.crana.org.au

Useful Telehealth websites

• Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) www.ehealth.acrrm.org.au/telehealth• Doctor Connecthttp://www.doctorconnect.gov.au/internet/otd/Publishing.nsf/Content/locator• MBS online: http://www.mbsonline.gov.au/telehealth