PRESS RELEASE: Supporting outcomes-focused care in oral health through telehealth coaching

‘Telehealth coaching in oral health offers government and health service providers in Australia a pathway to improving patient outcomes and experiences while reducing wastage and cost,’ says Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association Chief Executive Adj Prof Alison Verhoeven.

A perspectives brief, Telehealth in coaching in oral healthcare, published today by the Australian Healthcare and Hospital Association’s (AHHA) Deeble Institute for Health Policy Research examines how telehealth coaching can support outcomes-focused, patient-centred care in oral health.

The brief provides recommendations for an oral health coaching program which incorporates value-based health care approaches, team-based care, and telehealth to improve patient outcomes and reduce costs.

‘Value-based health care achieves patient-centred care by focusing on efficiency and outcomes that matter to patients. Team care makes efficient use of team members’ skills and capacity and can align care to patients’ needs,’ says Adj Prof Verhoeven.

‘Telehealth provides a cost-effective delivery model that offers benefits for patients and providers. It can improve a patient’s access to care and specialist services and offer early diagnoses and referral, reduce wait times and travel times. For providers, it can improve quality and appropriateness of referrals, and improve access to specialised and specialist support. But there is limited evidence showing its ongoing adoption in Australia.’

‘Health coaching adopts a preventive model of care by focusing on education, responding to the patient’s motivations and facilitating positive behaviour change.’

‘The experience of implementing telehealth coaching in the public sector has relevance and applicability to the private sector. In particular, waste is reduced with fewer broken appointments, increased treatment plan acceptance, and better workforce and resource utilisation,’ says Adj Prof Verhoeven.

Telehealth coaching in oral healthcare is available online. https://ahha.asn.au/sites/default/files/docs/policy-issue/deeble_perspectives_brief_no._17_-_telehealth_coaching_in_oral_healthcare.pdf

The Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association (AHHA) is the national peak body for public and not-for-profit hospitals, Primary Health Networks, and community and primary healthcare services.