Navigating telehealth’s crowded rulebook: New consortium adds its voice to the mix

A newly formed Consortium of telehealth providers and private health insurers has come together to develop national standards for the telehealth sector, despite a raft of existing guidelines already in place from several regulatory and professional bodies.

Convened by Patients Australia, the Australian Telehealth Standards Consortium brings together a diverse group of players, including Healthdirect, health insurers Medibank, HCF and Bupa, and digital health providers such as nib Group’s Honeysuckle Health, Updoc, Eucalyptus, Healthengine, MedAdvisor, MOSH, Medmate, 13Sick, and Wesfarmers Health.

The MBS Review Advisory Committee’s Telehealth Post-Implementation Review Final Report highlighted the dual nature of telehealth: while it improves access, there are concerns around reduced quality and safety in non-face-to-face consultations. The report also warned that the growing commercialisation of online-only services may undermine long-term care by encouraging fragmented, transactional interactions and low-value care.

To address some of these challenges, the Consortium has pledged to collaborate closely with patients and the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) in co-designing the standards. This move intends to secure GP buy-in by acknowledging the central role of general practice and complementing, rather than overriding, existing services.

Richard Skimin, group chair and Digital Health Ambassador at Patients Australia, said “We want to ensure that patients are not just consulted, but that their experiences and priorities genuinely shape the future of telehealth standards in Australia.

“We are focused on building the most rigorous, patient-led telehealth standards in Australia. This work is about setting the bar for safety and quality and making it easier for patients to know who they can trust.”

The new push comes despite multiple telehealth guidelines and standards already developed by the Medical Board of Australia, Ahpra, RACGP, Australian Nursing Federation (ANF), and the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM). This begs the question: why pursue fragmented telehealth standards instead of a unified national framework?

Adding another dimension, Wesfarmers Health officially launched its Telehealth Code of Practice only days ago. The Code draws on the National Safety and Quality Primary and Community Healthcare Standards published by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care.

Emily Amos, Managing Director of Wesfarmers Health, stated“As the largest and most comprehensive provider of telehealth services in Australia, Wesfarmers Health recognises the responsibility that comes with our scale.”

Wesfarmers Health – a division of Wesfarmers, whose major shareholders include BlackRock and Vanguard Group – owns Australian Pharmaceutical Industries (API), Priceline Pharmacy, Soul Pattinson Chemist, Pharmacist Advice and Pharmacy 4 Less. Its move to launch the Code comes two years after acquiring InstantScripts, a digital health provider.

InstantScripts has not been without controversy. In November 2023, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) issued 45 infringement notices totalling $742,500 to InstantScripts over the alleged unlawful advertising of prescription-only medicines online. In response, InstantScripts sought judicial review in the Federal Court. After several adjourned hearings, the TGA withdrew the notices in November 2024.

Despite such complexities, Patients Australia remains optimistic about telehealth’s promise to transform patient care – as long as robust safeguards underpin its growth.

“It’s fantastic to see so much work happening across the sector to strengthen telehealth,” said Lisa Robins, CEO of Patients Australia. “It’s a care pathway with huge potential to deliver innovative and accessible care, but we need to set the right foundations now.

“Accreditation standards that are co-designed with patients will help make sure telehealth continues to grow in the right direction – always safe, high-quality, and fit for purpose.”

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