Telehealth quality check: Is it time for national standards?

Abstract

Telehealth has seen rapid but unregulated growth in Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic, facilitated by the interim establishment of a universal Medicare Benefits Schedule item for telehealth consultations. Consumers and healthcare providers, including many general practitioners, have turned to telehealth with enthusiasm. The aim of this article is to present evidence and analysis supporting the adoption of national telehealth standards in Australia. Despite efforts by professional organisations to develop telehealth standards, Australia lacks a national telehealth strategy and a unified set of shared standards for clinical governance and quality assurance that can be applied across the health system. To ensure consumer safety and support healthcare providers in telehealth, a national regulatory framework and telehealth standards should be established on the basis of the latest evidence on safety and quality in all forms of telehealth.