Telehealth is the delivery of healthcare at a distance using information communications technology (ICT). This gives patients the option to access and manage their healthcare virtually.
Instead of attending a face-to-face healthcare appointment, technology is used to connect everyone involved from multiple locations, including private locations (home, work) or other health facilities.
Telehealth:
- reduces patient travel, parking and accommodation costs
- provides care with less disruption to life (family, work, routine)
- supports care delivery during exceptional circumstances (such as during a pandemic), when it is not possible or you feel unsafe to attend a face-to-face appointment
- brings together carers and other providers who are involved in care.
Telehealth modalities
The following telehealth modalities are used by NSW Health providers to support care:
| Telephone | Audio connection between two or more people. |
|---|---|
| Video conferencing | Video connection of two or more people allowing all participants to speak to each other, see each other and in some cases exchange data simultaneously. |
| Store and forward | A mode of transmission involving patient data that has been acquired and provided via email or clinical app to another provider for advice or management. |
| Remote monitoring | Using technology to collect and send medical and healthcare data to an app, device or service outside the traditional clinical setting. |