NDIS service providers are always thinking of how they can be more accessible to their participants, especially during quarantine. Many, if not most, participants often have to stay at home because they have a chronic illness or are immuno-compromised that they absolutely cannot get sick. Others don’t want to risk it as the probability of getting exposed to the virus puts their anxiety on high.
Thankfully Australia and many countries around the world have a telehealth system that is also available to NDIS service providers who need to monitor the progress of their participants even while the world is on lockdown.
What is Telehealth?
Telehealth refers to the communication between doctor and patient across different locations. These telecommunication techniques may involve any or a combination of the following:
- Video conferencing.
- Patient portals that allow patients to take a look at their information, prescriptions and other data from their desktop or mobile device.
- Remote patient monitoring through wearables and apps.
Because technology is always changing – even during COVID-19 – telehealth techniques will continue to improve and grow.
Benefits of Telehealth
Both NDIS service providers and participants can benefit from telehealth during quarantine. Not only does this promote social distancing between patient and doctor, it also encourages patients to check in with their doctors more frequently.
Here are some benefits if you still think telehealth is not for you:
1. Contact your doctors from home. One of the biggest pros of telehealth is its accessibility. Be it via phone or through online video streaming, you can have consultations in the comfort of your own home. This is perfect if you live in a remote location, such as a farm, or if you are home-bound and cannot always travel outside your community.
Which brings us to our next point…
2. Reduce your travel time. Telehealth greatly reduces time spent on getting ready for travel to and from your doctor’s clinic. This could take up to an hour or more, depending on your condition. It is possible that the only time you do need to go to your doctor’s clinic or a healthcare facility is when you have a scheduled procedure.
Nevertheless, if you simply need to talk to your doctor about vital signs and to ask for a prescription, you don’t need to get ready and travel.
3. Improve your recovery time. There’s nothing more comfortable than recovering at home. Instead of being admitted to a hospital, you can recuperate in your own bed while your doctor regularly contacts you through online means. This reduces the stress of having to get ready for a physical consultation.
4. Continuity of care. Doctors, especially during this time, want to check in with their patients to see how they are dealing with the ‘new norm’ and having to adjust to a life compressed into one’s home. This goes back to the first point of telehealth as a great way to access the healthcare that participants deserve.
Through telehealth, doctors can pinpoint signs of a mental health condition early on or can continue to check the progress of their patients without skipping several months of not talking with each other.
OnTrack Tasmania is working with telehealth specialists throughout the area to bring NDIS participants closer to the doctors who help manage any conditions participants currently live with or have begun to develop. Talk to us on our website or give us a call at 03 9007 0593 to talk about telehealth and other services that we provide as an NDIS provider.