Telehealth provides great opportunities for access to, and delivery of healthcare. The Board supports the responsible and safe use of telehealth. However, it is not appropriate for all medical consultations and should not be considered as a routine substitute for in-person consultations. The standard of care provided in telehealth consultations may be limited by the lack of in-person interaction and capacity to carry out physical examinations.
The Board considers that when practical, video consultations are preferable to telephone consultations and that telehealth is generally most appropriate in the context of a continuing clinical relationship with a patient that also involves in-person consultations. A mix of in-person and telehealth consultations can provide high quality, accessible, ongoing medical care.
The Board recognises the important role that telehealth can play in accessing episodic and emergency care, particularly in rural and remote settings, for patients who are unable to travel for an in-person consultation, to support inclusive care, and when patients may not be able to consult with their usual doctor. These guidelines do not prevent or discourage one-off telehealth consultations.
These guidelines complement Good medical practice: a code of conduct for doctors in Australia (Good medical practice) and the Board’s other codes and guidelines, and provide specific guidance on telehealth consultations with patients.
The Board expects all medical practitioners to follow Good medical practice regardless of the circumstances in which they consult a patient. The standard of care provided in a telehealth consultation must be safe and as far as possible meet the same standards of care as provided in an in-person consultation.