Roles and responsibilities: Virtual Care Strategy

The roles and responsibilities of public health services, the department and other stakeholders in virtual care provision are outlined below.

Public health services

Public health services are responsible for:

• providing services which are consistent with the Virtual care operational framework
• ensuring provision of safe, high-quality care which meets the standards set for all healthcare
• adapting services to local needs
• providing service innovation and flexibility, including trials of new models
• integrating virtual care with physical care in service pathways
• supporting staff to provide virtual care services
• reporting on virtual care provision
• evaluating virtual care services.

Department of Health

The department is responsible for:

• providing stewardship and supporting public health services to provide:
  • safe, high-quality care which meets required standards
  • consistency in care availability and access across Victoria
  • equitable provision for all consumers
• leading coordination on virtual healthcare issues across the Victorian government, with the federal government and between public health, primary care and aged care services
• providing a base level of virtual care infrastructure
• uniquely identifying and connecting patient records
• commissioning statewide virtual care services
• establishing reporting requirements and monitoring service provision
• analysing and sharing emerging evidence and new model successes across the Victorian health system
• providing evaluation guidelines and undertaking system-level evaluation
• creating an environment that supports innovation, and fostering research on virtual care
• reducing unwarranted variation in virtual care provision and facilitating roll-out of effective innovative models across Victoria.

Other stakeholders

Implementing this strategy involves many other stakeholders. The department and health services will work with consumers, the health and care workforce and a broad range of sector stakeholders. These include primary care, health networks, Aboriginal community-controlled organisations and drug and alcohol and mental health services to deliver this strategy. The Victorian Government will also continue to work with the Commonwealth Government and agencies on matters such as funding and regulatory responsibilities.