Engaging Your Workforce / Workplace Flexibility

Medicare-funded telehealth consults have rapidly become an integral part of the new normal for GPs, offering flexibility, safety, and attractive earning potential. This shift is evidenced by the substantial growth in telehealth roles advertised on AusDoc.JOBS and the corresponding high number of applicants. 

Chief Medical Adviser Professor Michael Kidd’s prediction in March that the new telehealth item numbers represent the most significant change in Medicare’s history appears to be accurate. By the end of April, 4.6 million GP telehealth consults had already been conducted, according to data from the University of Queensland. 

The appeal of telehealth extends to patients too, compensating for some of the declines in attendance and income during COVID-19. A GP from the NSW Central Coast highlights reduced exposure to infections as a significant benefit. “Some GPs are still not doing face-to-face consults due to their own medical history or fears, so they will be looking to increase their work-from-home income,” he explains.