Free training for health practitioners as millions of Australians embrace telehealth services
- Written by: Diane Falzon
With millions of Australians embracing telehealth services* over the past 12 months, Torrens University Australia is offering health professionals access to a free online On-Demand Short Course, designed to facilitate best practice delivery of telehealth services.
Professor Justin Beilby, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Research at Torrens University, and a general practitioner himself said the extension of funding for telehealth services in the recent 2021‑22 Federal Budget demonstrated the importance of the service in the Australian health system.
“In a country like Australia, dotted with remote and rural communities, telehealth is, quite literally, a lifesaver,” Professor Beilby said.
“It has been an essential tool throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and it would be preferred that telehealth become part of the normal suite of tools we will use as health practitioners.”
The one-hour free short course, Connecting with Telehealth, is designed to facilitate better utilisation of telehealth services and to provide practical skills and tips for incorporating it into current or future practice. Over 250 health professionals have already completed the Torrens University course, including nurses, doctors, mental health professionals and other medical specialists.
“When the pandemic struck, we recognised that both our students and health practitioners across Australia would need to swiftly develop the skills to deliver quality healthcare remotely and that these skills would remain vital and relevant in the future of health,” Professor Beilby said.
“Connecting with Telehealth combines academic literature, interactive lessons, government insight, and policy with expert advice from practitioners on the use of telehealth services”.
“Whether you are GP, medical practitioner, specialist, consultant physicians, nurse practitioner, midwife, allied health provider or a dental practitioner, the course provides a comprehensive overview of the applications, operations, and ethical implications of telehealth in a clinical context.”
The free Connecting with Telehealth course is part of Torrens University Australia’s extensive suite of free, on-demand short courses.
For more information on the Connecting with Telehealth short course: https://shortcourses.torrensonline.com/catalog/info/id:383
For more information on the suite of On-Demand Short Courses at Torrens University Australia:
https://shortcourses.torrensonline.com/index
*Telehealth is the ‘use of telecommunication techniques for the purpose of providing telemedicine, medical education, and health education over a distance’, while drawing a distinction between this and telemedicine, which is defined as the ‘use of advanced telecommunication technologies to exchange health information and provide health care services across geographic, time, social and cultural barriers’ – Australian Government, Department of Health
