Telstra boosts eHealth credentials

Telstra has launched a new division, Telstra Health, dedicated to cashing in on internet-delivered healthcare.

The division will forge partnerships with eHealth companies to connect patients, doctors, pharmacies, hospitals and others in the sector.

At a launch event on Thursday, the telco announced an initial partnership with Swiss telemedicine company Medgate that will let patients consult with GPs by phone or video at any time.

Called ReadyCare, it's designed to complement regular consultations, with information relayed back to a patient's usual doctor.

Dr Chris Mitchell, a past president of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, and Dr Bruce Chater, a previous president of the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine, have been appointed to oversee the service's clinical guidelines.

Gordon Ballantyne, Telstra's retail chief, said eHealth services would boost healthcare in remote areas and reduce the surging healthcare costs caused by Australia's ageing population.

"Seven million people in rural and regional Australia access GP services at a lower rate than the national average," he said.

"Health spend is growing more than twice as fast as our economy to nearly 10 per cent of GDP, from $120 billion in 2010 to an estimated $200 billion by 2020.

"We see our role as integrating eHealth solutions across all care settings to solve these industry challenges."

Telstra has also partnered with the Northern Territory government to bring telemedicine to areas that are several hours from the nearest clinic.

Better telehealth is one of the arguments for the National Broadband Network, with greater bandwidth enabling critical video consultations.

The new division is part of Telstra's ongoing strategy to diversity beyond its traditional telco business and transition into a fully-fledged digital media company.

It's already made investments in online health directory HealthEngine and hospital software provider IP Health in a bid to cash in on Australia's ageing population.