Surge in bespoke telehealth services reflects unmet need in primary care

NEWS - eHealthNews.nz editor Rebecca McBeth

Thousands of patients are turning to bespoke telehealth providers every week as pressures mount on busy general practices, leading to significant unmet need in the community.

Numbers provided to eHealthNews show primary care telehealth providers Practice Plus, CareHQ and Bettr NZ are together delivering more than 100,000 appointments a year.

A number of hybrid or ‘digital-first’ providers are also providing regular GP appointments via telehealth, such as Tend Health, Doctors Online and online locum GP services such as Remedi.

A recent Health Quality and Safety Commission Te Tāhū Hauora report says the ‘tide’ of telehealth following the Covid-19 pandemic was smaller than might have been expected and never went beyond 20 percent of appointments in primary care.

To read more, please click HERE