Co-Designing Patient-Centred Standards for Trusted Telehealth

A new Australian Telehealth Standards Consortium – supported by the nation’s leading telehealth

providers and private health insurers – will develop national standards for Australia’s telehealth sector.

Convened by Patients Australia, the Australian Telehealth Standards Consortium will include

Healthdirect, insurers Medibank, HCF and BUPA, and telehealth and digital health innovators nib Group’s Honeysuckle Health, Updoc, Eucalyptus, Healthengine, MedAdvisor, MOSH, Medmate, 13Sick and Wesfarmers Health.

The group will co-design new telehealth standards with patients and independent experts to ensure

better, safer, virtual care. Peak body the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) will play a key role as a consultation partner throughout this process.

Group chair and Digital Health Ambassador at Patients Australia, Richard Skimin, said the working group will put patients at the centre of the conversation and bring together some of the most trusted names in the healthcare system.

“Our group is patient-led for a reason. We want to ensure that patients are not just consulted, but that their experiences and priorities genuinely shape the future of telehealth standards in Australia,” Skimin said. “We are focused on building the most rigorous, patient-led telehealth standards in Australia. This work is about setting the bar for safety and quality and making it easier for patients to know who they can trust.”

Patients Australia CEO Lisa Robins said:

“It’s fantastic to see so much work happening across the sector to strengthen telehealth. It’s a care pathway with huge potential to deliver innovative and accessible care, but we need to set the right foundations now.”

“Accreditation standards that are co-designed with patients will help make sure telehealth continues to grow in the right direction – always safe, high-quality, and fit for purpose.”

The group is working towards the development of a robust accreditation framework that puts patient safety, choice, and continuity and quality of care at the heart of telehealth delivery.

The framework will apply across the wide variety of telehealth services available in Australia and support safe, high-quality care regardless of the provider, service type, or delivery method, while also giving patients greater confidence to know which telehealth platforms and providers they can trust.

For more information or to enquire about patient participation, please contact Patients Australia.

ENDS

For further information or media requests:

Richard Skimin

Digital Health Ambassador, Patients Australia

media@patients.org.au

About Patients Australia

Patients Australia is a leading independent not-for-profit organisation championing the rights of patients across Australia. We’re here to ensure that patients’ voices are amplified and their needs prioritised within the healthcare system. Our organisation drives significant improvements in patient care, advocating for greater transparency, accessibility, and quality within Australia’s healthcare landscape. By actively engaging with health consumers, policymakers, and industry stakeholders, we empower patients to create a more responsive and equitable healthcare system for all Australians.