GPs ‘need telehealth funding confidence’

Australia’s doctors are wanting reassurance that telehealth funding will stick around for the long term, according to this tech executive.

Coviu mental health support. CEO Silvia Pfeiffer. Picture: Supplied

Many doctors are still lacking confidence that telehealth will stick around for the long term, according to the chief executive of telehealth software outfit Coviu, who is calling on more commitment from the government in for permanent telehealth reimbursement items.

Speaking to The Australian ahead of an appearance at the Vogue Codes Summit on Tuesday, Silvia Pfeiffer said that the transition towards telehealth amid COVID-19 had been tricky across the board, given that for GPs in particular, many practices had not been set up for video consultations in mind.

“They don’t have the necessary equipment set up,” she said. ”And clinicians gravitate to using the telephone because it’s what they know. There can sometimes be a perception that video calls are ‘too difficult’, but of course this isn’t the case and with better education, training, and funding, we can overcome this.”

According to Dr Pfeiffer, there is currently a lack of confidence among doctors in telehealth that funding will last long term. She said introducing telehealth into a practice‘s workflow is an investment requiring not only technology and training, but also learning different workflow.

West Moreton Health midwife Madeleine Weaver conducts an antenatal appointment with expectant mother Chantelle Kearns via telehealth videoconferencing.

“If you don’t know whether reimbursements for telehealth will be made permanent, why would you invest time into changing how you work?,” she said. ”The proof is in the pudding - many Allied Health Professionals have received permanent funding for telehealth, so it’s been a worthwhile investment for those healthcare practitioners and they’re having tremendous success with video telehealth. GPs haven‘t reached that level yet.”

The tech executive, who was recently awarded founder of the year by Women in Digital, said a commitment from the federal government in terms of permanent telehealth reimbursement items will go a long way in overcoming these barriers

“Critically, our healthcare system needs to implement better training programs for clinicians to identify how they can convert their clinical practice for the digital age, and how they can best make use of the tools required to form the future of healthcare,” she said. ”We need a set process and workflow for clinicians to follow that involves a telehealth consultation in the first instance, rather than an in-person appointment, for the majority of non-emergency cases. That’s why Coviu is looking to work more with training providers to help them upskill our nation’s healthcare workforce in this area

“If we want to live in a country where quality healthcare is accessible to all, which I certainly do, then both greater education and medicare reimbursements for telehealth consultations are absolutely necessary. I’m hopeful that it won’t take us another pandemic to realise this.”

Dr Pfeiffer said healthcare had changed dramatically since she started Coviu as a CSIRO spinoff in 2015. She asid COVID-19 has catalysed an unprecedented shift in Australian healthcare delivery, which has condensed decades of digital transformation into just a few days.

If we want a world leading healthcare system that’s safe and efficient, we must take advantage of cutting edge technology, Dr Pfeiffer said.

“Before the pandemic, we were moving down the path of improving preventative care because of the growth of chronic disease,” she said.

“In a world where COVID19 lingers everywhere, we need to move down this path faster and with more conviction than before. If we want our healthcare sector to be affordable and globally competitive, we need to embrace digital transformation as it’s the only way to scale healthcare safely.”

The annual Vogue Codes Summit has gone virtual for 2020 and will take place over two half-days - November 10 and 11.

Technology touches more roles and careers than ever before and continues to open up new areas of opportunity. The 2020 Vogue Codes Summit will explore technology as a force for good, how to create a culture of inclusion, and career-defining moments from top Australian business women. Hear from international and Australian speakers who are driving change in the technology industry and discover how to scale your business from founders of successful start-up companies.

Visit vogue.com.au/codes to register