Support for RDAA and ACRRM submission to Federal Government on Telehealth
In a 2017 submission to the Federal Government on Telehealth, the Rural Doctors Association of Australia (RDAA) and the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) identify as strong advocates for telehealth medicine. Telehealth is considered a key part of the solution to increase access to health services for people living in rural and remote communities across Australia.
However, telehealth has yet to reach its full potential and along with these peak bodies, we continue to struggle with the issue of people living in rural and remote Australia continue to have poorer access and use of health services than people in major cities.
Royal Far West supports the RDAA and ACRRM submission, and given what we know about the sparsity of Paediatric services available in the bush, wish to highlight that telehealth is not just about increasing access to a service but increasing access to the right service, particularly where a face to face service option doesn’t exist. Our own extensive telehealth allied health workforce is used to support rather than replace face to face services, and is often the only service available in very remote communities. This is why we have advocated for an extension to number of Medicare rebatable psychology sessions in very remote areas, and made the case for Allied Health Medicare rebates