Rural Medicine Australia 2026 · Presentation
Closing the distance: A digital approach to rural multidisciplinary care
1 Conference.care, Sydney NSW · 2 Rural Clinical School, University of Western Australia · 3 Curtin University, Bentley WA
Presented by Dr Julian Hooper.
- Rural Medicine Australia 2026 (RMA26) · Hosted by ACRRM and RDAA
- Friday 23 October 2026, 1:00–1:30pm, session 12.5 · Adelaide Convention Centre, Tarndanya (Adelaide)
- 30-minute academic presentation
Summary
What the talk covered
- Rural patients are more complex and further from specialist care, and the referral letter carries most of the load. Letters say why a patient is referred but rarely what the GP found or the patient’s social context, and the reply often doesn’t answer the GP’s question.
- Distance and workforce can’t be changed quickly; how clinicians connect can. Medicare funds case conferences by video or phone as well as in person, provided everyone is present at the same time, and allied health are paid to take part.
- Trials support case conferences for both advice and coordination, yet use has stayed flat. The barrier is the organising work the Medicare rules place on the organiser.
- With Conference.care, the GP adds the patient, joins the conference, approves the patient’s summary and claims the item. Conference.care handles inviting the team, finding anyone missing, scheduling, reminders and consent.
- Conferences in WA general practices went ahead, with consent and a documented plan. The effect on patient outcomes isn’t yet known, and that is what Beyond the Letter will measure.
Questions about the talk? Use the contact form.
The study
Beyond the Letter
Our study of what makes a good case conference, and the value it delivers. It is for GPs, and we especially want to hear from those in rural and remote practice.