Reimagining a Better Healthcare System through Virtual Care

The changes in healthcare are occurring rapidly due to COVID-19. One of the most remarkable impacts of the pandemic has been the speed with which it accelerated telehealth as a mainstream channel for clinical consultations. The surge is most likely a symbol of something much bigger, and more profound. A need for innovation has been established, moving the health sector away from telehealth to the broader concept of virtual care to evaluate, triage, treat and care for patients - right care, right place, right time. However, the most urgent demand is the infrastructure, funding and process structures to support this transition. 

Based on the compelling report ‘Reimagining a better healthcare system through virtual care’, Trish Williams, Professor of Digital Health Systems, Flinders University and Director, Cisco-Flinders Digital Health Design Lab, takes a look at the opportunities and explains the what, why and how of virtual care. Using real use-cases to demonstrate the possibilities, Trish is joined by experts from the healthcare sector, facilitating a panel session on how the future use of collaborative technologies can improve productivity and interaction between people and technology.

Key Learning Points:

• The need for the health sector to move beyond telehealth to the broader concept of virtual care and understanding the differences in terms of that shift
• Realizing the possibilities of how the future use of digital collaboration technologies can improve productivity and delivery of healthcare
• Key policy and industry recommendations to improve patient care and productivity in Australia through wider use and adoption of technology-enabled virtual care