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NBN Enabled Telehealth Pilots Program

The National Broadband Network (NBN) Enabled Telehealth Pilots Program aims to demonstrate how the NBN infrastructure enables better access to high quality healthcare services, particularly aged care, palliative care and cancer care, using telehealth services in the home.

Release of Draft Guidelines for the NBN Enabled Telehealth Pilots Program for Consultation and Feedback

On 22 January 2012, the Minister for Health, the Hon. Tanya Plibersek MP and the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator the Hon. Stephen Conroy, announced the release of draft guidelines for the Program for public comment. As part of the development of an Invitation to Apply for funding for the Program, the Department sought input and comments on the draft guidelines from any individuals and organisations with an interest in telehealth or health service delivery.

NBN Enabled Telehealth Pilots Program Media Release

The public consultation period has now closed, however, the draft consultation documents are still available for viewing.

NBN-Enabled Telehealth Pilots Program - Fact Sheet (PDF 139 KB)

NBN-Enabled Telehealth Pilots Program - Fact Sheet (RTF 3203 KB)

NBN-Enabled Telehealth Pilots Program - Funding Guidelines (PDF 394 KB)

NBN-Enabled Telehealth Pilots Program - Funding Guidelines (RTF 1743 KB)

NBN-Enabled Telehealth Pilot Programs - Frequently Asked Questions (PDF 68 KB)

NBN-Enabled Telehealth Pilot Programs - Frequently Asked Questions (RTF 185 KB)

What’s Next

Final guidelines will be released with a call for applications in March 2012, with applications to close six weeks later. Funding Agreements are expected to commence July 2012.

For more information on the program, contact Ms Kate Rose at NBNtelepilots@health.gov.au or by phone at (02) 6289 9160.

Overview of the NBN Enabled Telehealth Pilots Program

The $20.6 million NBN Enabled Telehealth Pilots Program (‘the Program’) is a new government initiative in response to the Government’s Digital Economy Goal for health and aged care (see below).

The Program will provide funding to successful proposals for pilot projects to develop and deliver telehealth services to NBN-enabled homes with a focus on aged, palliative or cancer care services, including advance care planning services. By providing better access to health services to homes within NBN early release sites, the Program will investigate and demonstrate opportunities for the extension of telehealth services in the future and the business case for doing so.

The aim of the Program is to develop and trial services which demonstrate how, for example:

• Telehealth services can be delivered to the home in new and innovative ways, enabled by the high speed, reliable broadband provided by the NBN;
• Health services can become more accessible, in regional, rural, remote and outer metropolitan areas;
• Health related transport needs can be reduced;
• Consumers can collaborate and communicate with their carers and health service providers to improve quality of care and health outcomes;
• A reduction in unnecessary hospitalisation;
• Telehealth services are scalable and able to provide an increased volume of care without a corresponding increased cost;
• Location dependent or regional health workforce skills shortages may be mitigated;
• Use of the infrastructure may increase healthcare access and reduce social isolation; and
• Communication during health emergencies could be improved.

The NBN will provide a platform that allows homes, doctors’ surgeries, pharmacies, clinics, aged-care facilities and allied health professionals to connect to affordable, reliable, high-speed and high-capacity broadband. This represents a major opportunity to improve the way healthcare is delivered in Australia.

National Digital Economy Strategy

The Australian Government’s aim is that by 2020, Australia will be among the world’s leading digital economies. Ensuring that Australia becomes a leading digital economy will contribute to Australia’s productivity, maintain our global competitiveness and improve social wellbeing. The Government’s commitment to build the enabling infrastructure for the digital economy, the National Broadband Network (NBN), is a key step towards this vision.
The National Digital Economy Strategy, released in May 2011, sets out the Government’s strategy for progressing this vision through eight ‘Digital Economy Goals’.

The Government’s Digital Economy Goal for Improved health and aged care is that:

• by 2020, as identified in the National E-Health Strategy endorsed by the federal, state and territory governments, 90 per cent of high priority consumers such as older Australians, mothers and babies and those with a chronic disease, or their carers, can access individual electronic health records; and
• through the Government’s investments in telehealth, by July 2015, 495,000 telehealth consultations will have been delivered providing remote access to specialists for patients in rural, remote and outer metropolitan areas, and by 2020, 25 per cent of all specialists will be participating in delivering telehealth consultations to remote patients.

Further Information

More information on the NBN initiatives and the National Digital Economy Strategy is available at http://www.nbn.gov.au/ and http://www.dbcde.gov.au/

Up-to-date information on the NBN rollout is available at http://www.nbnco.com.au/


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