(Image Credit: iStockPhoto/NickRH)
Clinicians say healthcare in regional and rural Australia is being undermined by inadequate broadband connectivity.
The Australian Medical Association (AMA), the peak body representing doctors and medical students, issued a statement yesterday highlighting that telehealth and telemedicine services are not reaching their full potential because many communities lack reliable internet access.
“Approximately 30 per cent of Australia’s population lives outside major metropolitan areas. Regional, rural and remote Australians often struggle to access health services that urban residents consider a basic right. These inequalities lead to lower life expectancy, worse outcomes on key health indicators, and reduced access to care compared to people in major cities,” the AMA said.
In a survey conducted last year, the AMA asked rural doctors for input on how patient care could be improved. High-speed broadband for medical practices emerged as a top priority.
Internet availability across the country remains inconsistent. Research from 2015 found that 80 percent of households in rural areas had an internet connection compared with 89 percent in capital cities. Mobile internet use was substantially lower in rural areas (37 percent) than in urban areas (60 percent), largely because of unreliable or nonexistent mobile coverage.
High costs for small amounts of mobile data also keep mobile broadband usage low in both urban and rural communities, making it unsuitable for many applications, including eHealth services.
The AMA’s statement cites the 2016 Regional Telecommunications Review, which documented the difficulties clinicians and patients in remote locations face when trying to connect with specialists and other health services elsewhere.
With healthcare increasingly relying on connected technologies, the AMA warned there is a real risk that regional, rural and remote areas will fall further behind in their ability to deliver quality health services.
Among the actions the AMA recommends is establishing a new funding mechanism called the Consumer Communication Fund to replace the current telecommunications industry levy, as proposed in the 2015 Regional Telecommunications Review.
Other recommendations include extending the National Broadband Network’s fibre and fixed wireless footprints and prioritising satellite broadband capacity for hospitals and medical practices so connections are reliable and fit for purpose.
A full list of the AMA’s requested actions is available in their position paper (PDF).
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