Governance and legality

Telehealth consultations follow the same standards as face-to-face consultations. This means complying with privacy legislation and the standards of practice that have been set by the peak professional regulatory bodies both in your state or territory, and nationally.

Here is a checklist to make sure you have this covered:

Compliant with the privacy legislation relevant to the jurisdiction you are working in
Compliant with the standard of clinical practice set out by the National Boards
Check the guidance documents released by the Australia Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), Department of Health, Medicare Australia, and the respective professional peak bodies
Check with your indemnity insurance provider, and corporate indemnity insurance provider and obtain written proof that the policies cover telephone and/or video consultations
Check the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS). Start with telehealth items under the MBS and conditions associated with the relevant items. Check for MBS video consultation items as well as the COVID-19 temporary MBS telehealth services
Check if the services you deliver face-to-face are eligible for a private health rebate – check with private health insurance providers that these services are also covered when delivered via telephone, video consultation, or other means of remote consultation
If you are considering private billing, contact Medicare on 132150 for more information.
The ACRRM Telehealth Advisory Committee’s (ATHAC) telehealth standards framework is a good guide

Telehealth standards framework and quality planning guidelines

ACRRM Telehealth Advisory Committee. ATAC Telehealth Standards Framework. Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (16 May 2016)
SAI Global Standards and Legislation. AS ISO 13131:2017 Health informatics telehealth services – quality planning guidelines. Standards Australia. (23 October 2017) This technical specification adopts International Organisation for Standardisation Technical Standards (ISO/TS 13131:2014) as an Australian Standard which provides advice and recommendations on how to develop quality objectives and guidelines for telehealth services that use information and communications technologies (ICTs) to deliver healthcare over both long and short distances by using a risk management process. Key requirements considered are:
- management of telehealth quality processes by the healthcare organization
- management of financial resources to support telehealth services
- processes relating to people such as workforce planning, healthcare planning, and responsibilities
- provision of infrastructure and facilities resources for telehealth services
- management of information and technology resources used in telehealth services
Ethico-legal issues in Telehealth. Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (2012)
Telehealth in general practice: telehealth governance. NZ Telehealth (2020)

Privacy and information security guidance documents

Office of Australian Information Commissioner

Australian Privacy Principles.
Australian Privacy Principles guidelines. (July 2019)
Privacy for health service providers. (6 September 2019)

Australian Cyber Security Centre

Web conferencing security. (June 2020)

MBS Online

Guidance on security and privacy. (16 October 2014)

Please also refer to the Data security concepts and entry reading for more information.

National boards codes, guidelines, policies

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practice Board. Codes and guidelines
Chinese Medicine Board of Australia. Codes and guidelines
Chiropractic Board of Australia. Codes and guidelines
Dental Board of Australia. Policies, codes, and guidelines
Medical Board of Australia. Codes, guidelines, and policies
Medical Radiation Practice Board of Australia. Codes and guidelines
Medical Radiation Practice Board of Australia. Policy and statements
Medical Radiation Practice Board of Australia. FAQ
Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia. Professional codes and guidelines
Occupational Therapy Board of Australia. Codes and guidelines
Optometry Board of Australia. Codes, guidelines, and policies
Osteopathy Board of Australia. Codes and guidelines
Paramedicine Board of Australia. Professional standards
Pharmacy Board of Australia. Codes, guidelines, and policies
Physiotherapy Board of Australia. Codes and guidelines
Podiatry Board of Australia. Policies, codes, and guidelines
Psychology Board of Australia. Standards and guidelines

Telehealth guidance from government agencies

Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and National Boards. Telehealth guidance for practitioners. (16 April 2020)
Medical Board of Australia. Guidelines for technology-based patient consultations. (16 January 2012)
Service Australia. Coronavirus information for health professionals. (20 April 2020)

Telehealth guidance and policy documents from professional peak bodies

Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine(ACRRM). Coronavirus support/telehealth resources
Australian Medical Association. Clinical images and the use of personal mobile devices
Australian Medical Association. COVID-19 Telehealth (9 April 2020)
Australian Physiotherapy Association. Telehealth guidelines response to COVID-19 (March 2020); telehealth Q&A.(updated 3 April 2020)
Australian Telehealth Society. COVID-19 telehealth guides
Occupational Therapy Australia. Telehealth guidelines 2020 (updated 20 March 2020); companion checklist.
Royal Australasian College of General Practice (RACGP). Guide to providing telephone and video consultations in general practice (published March 2020, updated 6 April 2020); Telephone and video consultations in general practice: flow charts.
Royal Australasian College of Physicians. Telehealth guidelines and practical tips. (no date)
Speech Pathology Australia. Telepractice. (updated 20 April 2020)
Stroke Foundation. Telehealth resources in response to COVID-19.
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists. Telepsychiatry: professional practice standards and guides for telepsychiatry. (2013)

MBS and private health insurance billing

Medicare benefit schedule
- MBS item numbers and payments; currently 23 telehealth MBS items. (updated 27 March 2020)
- COVID-19 temporary MBS telehealth services. (updated 20 April 2020)
Private health funds
- HBF. Stay well at home with telehealth. (benefit ends 30 June 2020)
- Medibank. Frequently asked questions: telehealth services. (benefit paid for services delivered from 30 March to 30 September 2020)
- NIB. Telehealth and your cover. (benefit ends 30 June 2020)
- BUPA. Telehealth consultations during COVID-19. (benefit ends 30 June 2020)
Allied health MBS and private funds
- Speech pathology funding information. (updated 20 April 2020)