The uneven diffusion of telemedicine services in Australia

The diffusion of telemedicine services in Australia over the last four year s has been uneven. Some of the major barriers to the adoption of telemedici ne relate to the nature of the industry, including its immaturity, the limi ted telecommunications infrastructure, the lack of appropriate dialogue bet ween vendors and buyers about solutions required, and the lack of partnersh ips in the industry. Remuneration is only one barrier. There are, of course , other substantial organizational, financial and attitudinal barriers to t he adoption of telemedicine. Further development of telemedicine in Austral ia will require detailed assessment of these matters.