{"id":1890,"date":"2026-06-18T15:26:38","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T05:26:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ruralhealth.org.au\/partyline\/?p=1890"},"modified":"2026-06-18T15:26:38","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T05:26:38","slug":"when-the-screen-goes-blank-care-must-continue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ruralhealth.org.au\/partyline\/when-the-screen-goes-blank-care-must-continue\/","title":{"rendered":"When the screen goes blank, care must continue"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When a telehealth call drops in rural and remote Australia, the consultation doesn\u2019t stop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It shifts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The video freezes. The sound cuts out. The doctor switches to phone, asks more precise questions, and guides a patient\u2014or their family member\u2014through what needs to happen next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the reality of telehealth outside metropolitan areas. It is not seamless.  But in the hands of a skilled doctor, it works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Angus Whyte, who lives on a sheep and cattle station between Wentworth and Broken Hill in far western New South Wales, access to care has always come with distance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Telehealth has changed that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI use telehealth for my GP in Mildura, specialists in Melbourne, and we have a Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) medical chest, so I use it for that too,\u201d Gus says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While technology in his remote area is strong, he says there are options if it doesn\u2019t cooperate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got Starlink now and some mobile coverage, but it\u2019s still pretty new around our place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen tech doesn\u2019t work, the go-to is always the landline\u2014you can just switch and keep going.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For many patients, having access to Rural Generalists (RGs) online is now part of everyday rural and remote practice. Telehealth reduces travel and connects to care sooner\u2014but for the RGs, it demands a different way of practising medicine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not just about having the technology,\u201d Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) President Dr Rod Martin explains. \u201cIt\u2019s about knowing how to deliver safe, high-quality care when technology doesn\u2019t behave as expected.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That distinction\u2014between using telehealth and practising it well\u2014is where ACRRM is leading the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ACRRM has long recognised that telehealth in rural and remote Australia is not a simple extension of face-to-face care. It requires RGs to adapt communication, sharpen clinical judgement, and manage risk in new ways \u2014 without a physical examination or reliable connectivity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In response, ACRRM developed its Telehealth Clinical Skills Program, designed specifically for RGs working in rural and remote contexts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The program focuses on what clinicians actually do in practice: how to structure a telehealth consultation, assess patients safely when information is limited, and respond when a connection drops mid-consultation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re seeing telehealth become a core part of rural and remote practice,\u201d Dr Martin says. \u201cThat means we need to equip RGs with the clinical skills to use it safely, confidently and effectively.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For patients like Angus, that capability is clear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy doctor\u2019s very good with it,\u201d he says. \u201cHe\u2019ll have a registrar sitting in, and with permission, he records the session and uses AI for notes. I\u2019m comfortable with that\u2014it just makes everything smoother.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also recognises telehealth has its limits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI use it for things that aren\u2019t critical or life-threatening. \u201cYou still need to know when to go in.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That judgement\u2014on both sides of the consultation\u2014can be critical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI used it with the RFDS once for a swelling in my jaw,\u201d Gus says. \u201cThey told me straight away to get to hospital as it could affect my breathing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s when you realise how important it is to have someone who knows what they\u2019re doing on the other end.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWith the cost and availability of fuel at the moment, telehealth just makes sense,\u201d he  says. \u201cI feel bad using four hours\u2019 worth of fuel just to go to town for a script. \u201cSomeone else in the community might need that fuel to plant a crop for their livelihood.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Across rural and remote Australia, clinicians are building the skills to make telehealth work in real-world conditions\u2014adapting in real time, managing uncertainty, and continuing care even when technology falls short. Because in rural and remote Australia, if the screen goes blank, the care still must continue.<\/p>\n

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