Today’s announcement of a $115 million extension to the Rural Health Outreach Fund (RHOF) is welcomed by the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM).
The College is funded through the program to provide Tele-Derm support services to more than 3500 rural doctors throughout Australia.
ACRRM President Dr Ewen McPhee says the RHOF is an important mechanism for improving the health outcomes of rural and remote communities who would not normally have access to specialised dermatology care.
“The RHOF program provides additional support to GPs and other healthcare workers who manage the medical needs of populations which are spread across wide geographical areas,” Dr McPhee says.
“Importantly, it also provides services which otherwise wouldn’t exist in some communities.”
“The ACRRM Tele-Derm service gives rural doctors access to a dermatologist who provides upskilling and specialist advice to enable care of their patients locally.
“Patients can wait up to six months and be forced to travel distances of over 1000km to see a dermatologist.
“The Tele-Derm service, which is delivered via tele-health, provides support within 48 hours for diagnosis, treatment and management, reducing the need to refer patients and enabling care locally.”
Dr McPhee says the College has been a leader in enabling telehealth services in rural and remote Australia for over 10 years.