Medical Benefits Scheme – Items for Telehealth Consultations for Private Hospital Inpatients
Dear MBS Clinical Policy Section,
the National Association of practising psychiatrists has taken the viewpoints of our members, particularly those who look after private psychiatric hospital inpatients. We addressed with them the experience that they have had with the Telehealth items for private hospital inpatients (92478, 92479, 92480, 92481, 92482 and 92483 – see below) and whether they should continue or be modified. We note that these items have not been used extensively but have been used appropriately by psychiatrists when they needed to contact patients and consult with them when they could not get to the hospital and see them face-to-face. This has provided a convenient and essential way of assessing patients and monitoring their progress when the psychiatrist could not get to the hospital to see them personally. The view of our members and our recommendation to you is to keep these items intact and allow psychiatrists to continue to use them judiciously in order to assess and monitor the progress of patients when they cannot get to see them in hospital face-to-fa face. This will give a degree of flexibility to those psychiatrist looking after patients in private psychiatric hospitals that would not otherwise be available to them if the Telehealth items were not retained. We do not see any need to modify the Telehealth items. I hope this recommendation will be adopted by your Clinical Policy Section review.
Yours sincerely,
Prof Phillip Morris AM
President National Association of Practising Psychiatrists
