National Boards update guidance on telehealth and virtual care

A significant and fast-evolving change in the use of telehealth/virtual care over the last year has prompted the National Board, including the Dental Board of Australia, to update the guidance on the use of these services.

The updates are particularly focused on the rise of telehealth-only business models focusing on one or limited treatments/offering in a bid to ensure patients receive high-quality care regardless of whether it is in-person, over the phone or online. 

The revised guidance is consistent with the Medical Board of Australia’s guidelines with all practitioners expected to take these into account when providing safe and effective telehealth services. 

While the expectations remain the same, the updated guidance is intended to be clearly articulated and contemporary, making reference to the Codes of Conduct and other regulatory standards, with a focus on harm prevention. 

The changes to the guidance include: 

• Expanding advice on safe prescribing and practitioner responsibilities in telehealth-based models of care.
  
  
• Introducing a new title and structure to better reflect the focus on meeting existing professional obligations in telehealth contexts.
  
  
• Refining terminology and definitions, with separate sections on ‘telehealth’ consultations and broader ‘virtual care’ issues.
  
  
• Highlighting concerns about unethical practices and emerging business models that prioritise profit over patient safety.
  
  
• Providing case studies on telehealth prescribing and profession-specific issues (e.g. paramedicine and optometry) to help practitioners avoid common pitfalls.