New data: Over half of Australians to use telehealth as main way to access healthcare by 2035
New national research confirms Australians are embracing telehealth as a mainstream mode of care, with significant current usage, strong clinician support and widespread belief in its long-term potential to improve access to healthcare.
Conducted by The Online Research Unit (ORU) and Ekas/Parallel Data Research, the two complementary studies surveyed 1,000 Australians and 202 healthcare professionals to better understand attitudes towards telehealth and its evolving role in Australia’s healthcare system. The findings show meaningful support across the country, with state-by-state variations that highlight where public and clinical confidence is strongest.
Victorians are the most enthusiastic current adopters, with more than one in four (27%) saying they would choose a telehealth appointment over in-person care. Western Australians follow closely at 24%, ahead of New South Wales (22%) and Queensland (19%). Across all states, convenience is the most common reason cited, reinforcing national sentiment that ease and accessibility are key drivers of preference.
Looking ahead, 54% of Australians believe telehealth will become the primary way people access simple healthcare and advice within the next decade. This belief is highest in Western Australia (59%) and shared by more than half of respondents in Victoria and New South Wales (both at 54%), and Queensland (51%). Nationally, 44% believe the shift will happen in as little as five years.
Healthcare professionals across the country strongly support the role of telehealth in improving access. Clinicians in Western Australia are the most confident in its clinical equivalency, with 52% saying telehealth appointments are as effective as in-person consultations, the highest of any state. In Victoria, 48% of clinicians agree, followed by New South Wales (51%) and Queensland (38%).
State-level findings also show near-universal clinical support for telehealth’s role in improving equity. In WA and Victoria, 100% and 98% of clinicians respectively say it has improved access for people living with disability and busy professionals. In Queensland and NSW, 96–98% of clinicians agree it improves access for shift and FIFO workers. Across all states, more than 85% of healthcare professionals believe telehealth helps relieve pressure on the broader healthcare system.
Around one third of respondents across the country believe telehealth will become the main way to access emergency or specialist care within the next ten years – with figures ranging from 31% in Queensland and NSW to 35.5% in WA and Victoria. This suggests continued trust in in-person care for more complex or urgent needs.
Balkis Sierra, 50, lives in outer metropolitan Melbourne and says telehealth has made managing her health much easier:
“I really appreciate how good telehealth appointments are. It’s so much easier than trying to get into a clinic, especially since we don’t have enough cars in the family and public transport isn’t always practical. With telehealth, I don’t have to worry about transport or timing, it’s just very accessible and much less stressful for all of us.”
Dr Tim Kingswell, Medical Practitioner at Alternaleaf, said “Telehealth has become a trusted and permanent feature of Australia’s health system giving millions faster, easier access to care, especially those facing transport, childcare, mobility or stigma barriers.
“Australians value the flexibility, comfort, discretion, and accessibility it provides. At the same time, they recognise that good healthcare often involves a blend of digital and face-to-face care.
“As trust and adoption grow, so too must the standards that support them. Genuine progress in telehealth will hinge on firm commitment to safety, compliance and clinical excellence. At Alternaleaf, we’ve long upheld this commitment to safe, compliant and patient-centred care.”
