![]() While the pandemic has encouraged (or in some cases forced) the adoption of virtual health services for older generations, only two out of five Australians over 65 are willing to use video virtual healthcare services once the pandemic risk is decreased.” While there were some issues reported around practitioner or patient comfort on camera, these may reduce as this service delivery model matures and becomes an accepted, and trusted, service delivery model. “Virtual health, especially video consults can be 'fit for purpose' in the types of services delivered. Healthcare providers and funders should consider those services that are fit for virtual care, encompassing different channels like video, phone and text, so that those services that typically do not require face-to-face consultation are delivered in a way that best matches the channel's capability. PwC Australia National Health Consulting Lead, Nathan Schlesinger, said, “Following the openness to this shift to virtual models of care, there is an opportunity to drive accessibility to and efficiency across healthcare settings while simultaneously improving patient experience by streamlining service delivery. Australians aged between 25-44 had the highest acceptance with 94% opting to continue using virtual healthcare services in the future. Around three quarters of Australian consumers said they are open to interacting with healthcare systems on digital platforms and will continue using virtual health services, where applicable, even after they return to in-person care as COVID-19 risks ease. ![]() The majority of the increase overall has been in telehealth (phone calls) jumping from 22% to 35% with video only increasing marginally.įor those who used video virtual health, 80% said they had some issues with the appointment, however, despite this, a very large proportion of people are willing to use video virtual health again after the pandemic. In people aged 45 and over, only one in five said they had received virtual healthcare treatment, however during the pandemic this increased to one in two people in the same age group. The use of non-face-to-face models of care saw a significant increase across all respondents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Virtual health a viable option for Australians going forward “Leveraging this trust in government communications channels, and through primary care networks will likely promote wider acceptance of distributed medical information and guidance,” said Butler. ![]() Going forward, we have the opportunity to embed this into our healthcare system, with investment in infrastructure, data privacy, cyber security and skills - optimising the mix of virtual and in-person care to ensure equitable access to the right care in the right place at the right time, with more sustainable affordable costs. We also saw clinicians embracing the shift to virtual care, enabled by funding. Sarah Butler, PwC Australia Health Leader, said, “COVID-19 has accelerated digital transformation globally and across all industries, including healthcare, forcing rapid digitisation, increasing demands and expectations from informed and connected consumers. The Global Health Industries Survey also reveals the government as the most trusted source of information during the pandemic among Australian respondents compared to global health agencies and primary care doctors or specialists.
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