Barriers and Potential Solutions for Telemedicine Implementation in Australia

RUNNING HEAD: PUBLIC HEALTH INFORMATION
PUBLIC HEALTH INFORMATION
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RUNNING HEAD: PUBLIC HEALTH INFORMATION
Introduction
In the year 2011, the Australian Government introduced the facility of telehealth services
named Medicare (Ouma & Herselman, 2008). The entire focus of such telehealth services was
focused on delivering video consultations to varied patients. The scope of current discussion
takes into consideration barriers in uptake of telemedicine from the article by Wade, Soar, and
Gray (2014). Then it classifies the ICT/infrastructure issues present in telemedicine and ways in
which it can be managed. Models of care from the article have been included as well with
recommendations, which will allow in overcoming these barriers.
Barriers to the uptake of telemedicine,
The core aim to introduction of telemedicine in Australia is to provide consultation to
patients, who are based in rural and metropolitan locations, and also cater to Aboriginal Health
Services and residential aged care facilities (RACFs). Extension of telemedicine services
provides consultation in those areas where specialist’s workforce is limited and telehealth
initiative provides specialties at higher rebates than in-person consultation (World Health
Organization, 2010). However, there are certain barriers to the uptake of telemedicine which
includes ICT infrastructure and management tissues. ICT infrastructure is needed for the purpose
of providing telemedicines to patients, which includes video conferencing facilities,
uninterrupted internet connection, computer or laptop and last but not the least, capability to
operate on the telehealth portal. In most remote locations across Australia, healthcare service
delivery needs high speed internet, which is often lacking. Connecting to support wireless
technology is absent for most patients, who are unable to establish proper connection. Moreover,
in case the end user is not comfortable with the use of technology, then it becomes difficult for
specialists to conduct their workflow easily. Then a slower rate of adoption is expected and the
whole process becomes ineffective (Wade, Soar & Gray, 2014). Lack of ICT infrastructure in
most homes in Aboriginals, RACFs or rural and metropolitan sector deters applicability of the
service. Absence of proper ICT infrastructure hinders people from taking up services in
telemedicine.
Another pertinent challenge includes management issues. Applicability related to
telemedicine requires tremendous management capabilities and skills. The application of
telemedicine requires linking to doctors, nurses, specialists and patient by use of
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