Patients across the region are being promised greater confidence in online health services, following the launch of new National Telehealth Standards.
Developed by the Australian Telehealth Standards Consortium (ATSC), which includes Healthdirect, Medibank, HCF, BUPA, nib Group’s Honeysuckle Health, Updoc, Eucalyptus, Healthengine, MedAdvisor, MOSH, Medmate, 13Sick and Wesfarmers Health, the Standards are the outcome of a national, patient-led collaboration convened by Patients Australia and informed by extensive consultation with patients, clinicians, digital health providers and policy experts.
Patients Australia CEO Lisa Robins noted that telehealth is now a permanent and essential part of Australia’s healthcare system, but public confidence must keep pace with its rapid growth.
The Standards set out clear expectations across key domains, including clinical governance, patient safety, informed consent, continuity of care, advertising, technology and data security, and accreditation.
They are designed to complement existing laws and regulations while providing a consistent national framework that can be applied across different telehealth delivery models.
Patients Australia emphasised that the Standards are not intended to create unnecessary red tape.
