A new research report commissioned by NBN demonstrates the capability for fast broadband and telehealth services to bring healthcare to the home.According to the report, Australians “sandwiched” between caring for their children and elderly parents are the most likely to take advantage of telehealth services, such as GP video conferencing and in-home monitoring for the elderly.
The Digital Health At Home Report shows that 90 per cent of this generation “have delayed a GP visit for reasons including avoiding wasting time, losing money and having to take days off work”.
Among its findings are that 50 per cent of respondents who use telehealth access it for convenience, 34 per cent use it to better manage personal or family health, while 21 per cent use it when they can’t get in to see a doctor.
Meanwhile, 37 per cent of pregnant women and new parent respondents harness telehealth to save time, and avoid costs of GP and hospital visits (28 per cent).
With better awareness of telehealth services, 62 per cent of respondents would feel more equipped to make health decisions, 57 per cent would feel safer knowing they can monitor health from home, and 49 per cent would feel more efficient and productive.
Among regionally located respondents, 30 per cent use telehealth, while 20 per cent of all Australians do so to access health services not available in their location.
“Access to health services for Aussies living in rural and remote Australia is a real issue, meaning that unfortunately not all Aussies are receiving the medical attention they need,” Dr David Hansen, Australian e-Health Research Centre CEO, commented.
“However, as GPs and specialists start to offer digital services, people can receive quality care through uninterrupted video conferencing and other broadband-enabled delivery methods no matter where they live.
“Telehealth is also offering a time-efficient solution for city-based patients, offering anytime, anywhere healthcare. Our recent trials testing telehealth applications over fast broadband demonstrated these services can help improve patient outcomes and reduce costs to the healthcare system.”
