Home-based Telehealth Devices and the National Broadband Network (NBN): Reflections on Technical Feasibility versus Patient Need

Australia is deploying a $30bn National Broadband Network for all Australians by 2021. At the same time, the ageing population has led to a focus on finding new ways to support patients to live independently for longer in their own homes and to support them to self-manage. While broadband connected home-based telehealth appears to hold promise, there remain few examples of successful implementation. There is also limited insight into how technical feasibility interacts with meeting genuine patient needs in home-based environments. This paper describes a telehealth platform called MediStation designed to support patients’ in home-based environments. It confirms reliable home-based telehealth devices are feasible and usable by patients. However failure to holistically understand patient needs means these devices tend to support compliance rather than self-management. This will not contribute to the ability of patients to live independently for longer in their own homes or to sustained use of these types of devices.