🗞️ Australia Launches Free National Telehealth Service for People Living with Hepatitis C

Why It Matters

Heplink could close the treatment gap for Australia’s remaining hepatitis C patients, reducing disease burden and demonstrating how telehealth can reach underserved populations.

Key Takeaways

• Free national telehealth service, Heplink, launches for hepatitis C.
• No referral needed; accessible anywhere across Australia for patients.
• Powered by Medi Records EMR and Coley Health platform.
• AI scribe automates virtual testing and prescription workflow.
• Targets 63,000 untreated patients, especially rural and homeless.

Summary

Australia’s health ministry has rolled out Heplink, a free, nationwide telehealth platform that lets people with hepatitis C receive testing, diagnosis and treatment without a referral. The service is available to anyone with internet access, regardless of location, and is managed by Hepatitis Australia.

Heplink runs on the Medi Records cloud‑based electronic medical record and the Coley Health platform, with an integrated AI scribe that captures clinical notes and automates prescription delivery. Users can initiate virtual testing online or by phone, receive a digital prescription, and complete a 12‑week direct‑acting antiviral regimen—all at no cost.

Since the introduction of curative antivirals a decade ago, Australia has cured roughly 100,000 patients, yet an estimated 63,000 remain infected, many of whom are rural, homeless, or distrustful of traditional care. The video highlights the program’s aim to bridge that gap, noting that technology may finally reach those who have been left out of the conventional system.

If adopted widely, Heplink could dramatically improve treatment uptake, lower public‑health costs, and serve as a model for digital outreach in other chronic‑disease programs. Success will hinge on whether the most marginalized patients can access and trust the platform.