Pinnacle rejects 50 per cent telehealth claim

Pinnacle strongly disagrees with claims by Te Whatu Ora at a Building the Future of Health webinar series on Tuesday 7 May that up to 50 per cent of general practice work could be done by telehealth.

While telehealth services can be a valuable tool, suggesting that up to half of all GP appointments could be conducted online disregards the importance of continuity of care and the value of face-to-face interaction between patients and their general practice team.

We’ve seen the positive impact of telehealth initiatives like Practice Plus, and Ka Ora which supports our rural communities. However, the telehealth model is a supplement to traditional in-person care, not a replacement.

There is a strong, holistic approach to healthcare that comes from seeing a GP or practice-based clinician in person, which can’t be replicated online. We believe decisions made with a wider picture of a patient’s health history are more effective than those made solely through a telehealth consultation.

It’s easy to take comments out of context, so we would welcome discussions with Te Whatu Ora to clarify their position and further explore the role of telehealth in supporting primary care.

Update: Since publishing this item on our website and LinkedIn platform on Wednesday 8 May, Martin Hefford, Te Whatu Ora’s director Living Well, National Commissioning, has reached out and is actively engaging with PHOs on this issue.

Justin Butcher
Kaiwhakatere (CEO)