GPs reject claim of 50% telehealth transition

NEWS – eHealthNews.nz editor Rebecca McBeth

Health NZ Te Whatu Ora is looking to optimise the use of telehealth to meet demand in primary care, but GPs have strongly rejected claims that up to 50 per cent of general practice work could be done via telehealth.

Martin Hefford, director of Living Well at Health NZ, said at a recent ‘future of health’ webinar that telehealth is a way to deal with the mismatch between the supply of GP services and projected demand.

“Estimates are that up to 40-50 percent of general practice work could be done through telehealth consultations,” he said at the stakeholder hui.

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