Telehealth can further extend the scope of practice of Rural Generalists (RGs) to provide comprehensive care for patients in the local community in consultation with other specialists if required.

There is value for both patients and practitioners in shared care arrangements which facilitate quality models of care involving the patient-end clinicians (RGs) and remote-end specialists/consultants. It can also improve the professional relationship and mutual respect between rural practitioners and their urban-based colleagues and promote communication and collaboration to achieve high-quality patient care.

While telehealth consultations can improve access to healthcare, they can never replace high quality, in-person care arrangements. Both patients and providers have shown strong preference to have both these options available to them, and to be able to make use their local, continuous, in person healthcare services as well as any telehealth opportunities.

It is a broad term encompassing the use of communication and information technology to provide patient care - this includes synchronous communication by telephone, video conferencing and delayed care using asynchronous communication with store and forward and remote patient monitoring.

The College has developed a systematic approach to eHealth and telehealth education, promotion and clinician support. This includes defining the essential Digital Health knowledge and skills, which are included in the ACRRM Rural Generalist Curriculum.