The Australian government’s decision to include Medicare bulk-billing for telehealth consultations, announced in March 2020, brought an overnight transformation to the delivery of medical consultations in the immediate COVID-19 climate and for the foreseeable future. These changes needed to be implemented fast, while taking the necessary care to ensure data integrity was not compromised, meeting both the needs of the community without compromising TAMS' RACGP accreditation standards.
Pre-Planning
Due to our prevalence within the healthcare services sector, we were able to identify the potential for COVID-19 related disruptions prior to any government enforced restrictions around social distancing and isolation. We provided TAMS with preparedness communications, including advice around technological measures which may need to be taken in the event of those restrictions so that we could begin working on a solution before it was needed.
Work from Home
Our experience and foresight allowed us to anticipate disruptions to the service TAMS provides, which also allowed us to discuss the potential for a work from home requirement. We were able to recommend a plan of action, outline the necessary requirements, and help TAMS feel confident in making that transition should they be required to do so.
Platform Migration
Prior to government enforced social distancing, we researched and provided recommendations around telehealth and remote diagnosis solutions. When the restrictive measures were announced, we assisted TAMS with the reconfiguration of their doctors technology setup to accommodate their chosen telehealth solution and ensured it’s interoperability with existing practice management, communication, and diagnosis systems.