TY - JOUR T1 - How will telehealth change primary care in Australia? JF - BJGP Open JO - BJGP Open DO - 10.3399/BJGPO.2021.0186 VL - 6 IS - 1 SP - BJGPO.2021.0186 AU - Simon Mark Willcock AU - John A Cartmill AU - Tim Tse AU - Sarah J White AU - Amy Nguyen AU - Peter Roger Y1 - 2022/03/01 UR - http://bjgpopen.org/content/6/1/BJGPO.2021.0186.abstract N2 - As a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, health systems have seen sudden and significant increases in the use of telehealth services.1 The Australian population has shared in this experience, with studies showing a rapid uptake of telehealth services.2 A high level of satisfaction with telehealth consultations in Australia has been reported, but some responders report reduced satisfaction compared to traditional face-to-face consultations.3 Australian citizens have access to a range of medical services through Medicare, the national health insurance system. The Commonwealth Health Department is responsible for funding those components of primary care services in Australia that are included within Medicare, with a defined fee for each service. The Medicare schedule of fees identifies the payment available for each item and defines the criteria for claiming each item.The Commonwealth Department of Health website acknowledges the role of videoconferencing, but still contextualises its value as an access tool for geographically remote populations.4 Australian GPs have been requesting new Medicare item numbers for telehealth service provision since the technology to deliver these services became widely available. These remote-access technologies have pervaded most aspects of our everyday lives over the past 20 years, including shopping, banking, insurance, and even finding a partner. It is predictable that service providers and consumers are looking for opportunities to … ER -