Dr Silvia Pfeiffer Speaks on Sunrise Australia
Telehealth is here to stay!
Dr Silvia Pfeiffer joined Sunrise host Natalie Barr this morning to discuss ‘The Telehealth Trend’ with new research revealing that Australians want telehealth to become a standard consultation option.
Watch Coviu CEO, Dr Silvia Pfeiffer on Sunrise discussing the surging demand from Aussies for video telehealth.
Research shows that despite only 3% of Aussies conducting GP appointments via video calls in the last 12 months, 70% believe all GPs should offer video telehealth. This suggests that patient demand is not being met, likely due to the uncertainty around the permanence of video telehealth items, and their ultimate rebate value compared to in-person consults. However, Pfeiffer discusses “Just yesterday Minister Hunt announced that the Telehealth items have been extended till the end of this year and their going to review them to make them permanent”. This is exciting news as statistics reveal 90% of Aussies want equal Medicare rebates for video telehealth & in-person GP visits.
With 41.5% of Aussies reporting that their GP does not offer video telehealth services, consumers are placing pressure on GPs to offer video telehealth and create a flexible healthcare system. Consumers want choice, easier access and convenience - all of which can be offered with video telehealth services, specifically Coviu.
Statistics show that 44% of Aussies say they would switch GPs to one that offers video telehealth. Prior to COVID-19, telehealth uptake was narrow and restricted to predominantly rural areas. “Because of the Pandemic, people have had a new way of experiencing telehealth and a new way of seeing their doctors, and people really like it”, said Pfeiffer.
Now, Aussies want their GPs to offer video telehealth in addition to their standard in-patient offerings and would contemplate switching GPs to one that offers video telehealth - “Every day Australians are asking for it”, Pfeiffer says.
Statistics also show that 72% of respondents stated that video telehealth offers comparable care to in-person and an additional 15% said it was better than in-person care. This is a good argument for GP clinics to upskill existing GPs and expand their service offering with remote working GPs. “We’ve got the bandwidth, the networks, the cameras that are now high enough quality, so we absolutely believe it is time for this to happen. Its happening overseas, it’s got to happen here as well”, said Pfeiffer.
* Through Pureprofile, Coviu conducted a research piece with 1,000 consumers across the Australian general public. To qualify, participants needed to have accessed a GP in the past 12 months.