Information
Sheet Specialists
Telehealth in Residential Aged Care Facilities
Telehealth is a way to connect residential aged care facility (RACF) residents with medical
specialists through video-based consultation.
Frankston Mornington Peninsula Medicare Local (FMPML), under the Australian
Government’s Better Health Care Connections initiative seeks to increase integrated health
for older Australians living in RACFs who find it difficult arranging and accessing healthcare.
What is Telehealth?
Technology-based patient consultations are defined by the Medical Board of Australia as:
“patient consultations that use any form of technology, including, but not restricted to
videoconferencing, internet and telephone, as an alternative to face-to-face consultations”.
What will you need to run Telehealth consultations?
The basic requirements for a Telehealth consultation include a computer screen, a web
camera, microphone, speakers and an internet connection. You will also require video
conferencing software such as Vidyo, Skype, Blue Jeans Network, and GoToMeeting for
example.
.. The following types of technology are able to be used for Telehealth:



iPads and other tablet devices
iPhones or other Smartphones
Laptops or desktops with webcams and microphones
With the combination of audio and video, specialist practitioners are able to provide many of
the same services delivered through a face-to-face consultation such as diagnosis,
monitoring and medication prescription and management. Each specialist will determine
their scope of practice for telehealth consults. Many medical and specialty peak bodies have
position statements and guidelines on best practice for telehealth.
Specialty areas that have used Telehealth are wide ranging and include geriatrics,
dermatology, psychiatry, psychogeriatrics, pain management, endocrinology, nephrology
and cardiology.
Who is eligible?
Telehealth is available to any permanent resident of a residential aged care facility (nursing
home). Specialists are able to be access by the RACFs from anywhere across Australia
where online services are available. However, there is demand for local specialist to provide
S:\Programs_Projects\Aged Services\Multidisciplinary Care Coordination and Advisory Service\Specialist VC Program\Telehealth for Specialists_Information Sheet.docx
Information
Sheet Specialists
Telehealth options so that RACF residents can participate in face to face consults as
required.
Potential benefits for Telehealth?
There are a range of benefits in using Telehealth including:




Residents and families/carers benefit from increased access to specialist medical
services, reduced need for transport and shorter waiting time.
Aged care facility staff benefit through increased medical supervision for their
residents
General practitioners benefit from being directly involved in consultations and
increased patient knowledge
Specialists benefit by being able to continue consulting with patients.
What support is available for setting up Telehealth?
The Australian Government is committed to supporting Telehealth and has introduced
Telehealth MBS items for specialists and GP’s.
What will I need?
You may already have the equipment required to conduct Telehealth consultations at your
facility or practice. A tablet or laptop is usually enough. FMPML can give you an overview of
Telehealth practice. If you have questions or issues related to Telehealth, please do not
hesitate to contact us.
MBS Claiming information
The following link provides you with information about eligibility, incentives and information
regarding MBS item numbers
http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/provider/incentives/telehealth/information-for-healthprofessionals.jsp
Specialists, consultant physicians and consultant psychiatrists
You must lodge telehealth MBS item claims separately to other non-telehealth claims. For
example, you can only claim the base consultation (Item 104) and derived fee (Item 99)
together. This makes sure the derived fee item number is allocated to the correct base
consultation item.
Under Regulation 13 of the Health Insurance Regulations 1975, all item numbers claimed
must include the amount being charged, including telehealth derived fee item numbers.
Note: telehealth derived fee items can't be bulk billed using Medicare Easyclaim
S:\Programs_Projects\Aged Services\Multidisciplinary Care Coordination and Advisory Service\Specialist VC Program\Telehealth for Specialists_Information Sheet.docx
Information
Sheet Specialists
Specialists must still meet all the requirements set out in the specialist item in order for it to
be provided as a video consultation.
Bulk billing for Telehealth-specialists, consultant physicians and consultant
psychiatrists
Even though you and the patient aren’t at the same location during a telehealth video
consultation, the patient’s signature is still needed on the Bulk Bill (assignment of benefit)
form under Section 20A of the Health Insurance Act.
There are three ways you can get the patient’s signature:
1. The supporting practitioner can get the patient to sign the Bulk Bill (assignment of
benefit) form at their end and send the form to you.
2. You can send the completed Bulk Bill (assignment of benefit) form to the patient to sign
and return to you.
3.
You can get an email agreement from the patient.
For more information
http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/provider/incentives/telehealth/information-bulkbilling.jsp
S:\Programs_Projects\Aged Services\Multidisciplinary Care Coordination and Advisory Service\Specialist VC Program\Telehealth for Specialists_Information Sheet.docx
Information
Sheet Specialists
Current activities
The Frankston-Mornington Peninsula Medicare Local (FMPML) is currently compiling a list of
Specialists who are ready to begin using Telehealth as part of their practice. This list will be
made available to RACFs for their residents as part of their multi-disciplinary care.
We would like to encourage you to be a part of the list of specialists by assisting you to set
yourself up as a Telehealth ready specialist. If you already are Telehealth ready, we would
like to know more about your processes.
Our aim for this program is to assist to make care easy and accessible to older people
For more information
Contact Rachel Lennon 0407 360 943 rlennon@fmpml.org.au
Useful Links

MBS items are available online via
http://www.mbsonline.gov.au/internet/mbsonline/publishing.nsf/Content/Home

Guidelines for interprofessional collaboration between general practitioners and other
medical specialists providing video consultations
http://www.racgp.org.au/download/Documents/Guidelines/Interprofessionalguidelines/telehealth_interprofessional-guidelines.pdf

Implementation guidelines for video consultations in general practice
http://www.racgp.org.au/download/Documents/Guidelines/Implementationguidelines/implementation_guidelines.pdf
S:\Programs_Projects\Aged Services\Multidisciplinary Care Coordination and Advisory Service\Specialist VC Program\Telehealth for Specialists_Information Sheet.docx