BLOGS

Living with Chronic Respiratory Conditions: Asthma & COPD via Telehealth in Australia

Chronic respiratory conditions — notably Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) — affect a large portion of Australians. According to AIHW, in 2022 about 8.5 million people (≈34 %) reported a chronic respiratory condition; this included ~2.8 million (11 %) living with asthma, and ~638,000 (2.5 %) with COPD. Given the growing burden and complexity of managing lung health — medications, inhaler technique, triggers and exacerbations — Chronic Respiratory Care Australia is becoming more important than ever.

Telehealth offers a complementary pathway for care by supporting continuous monitoring and patient-centred respiratory management remotely.

Why telehealth suits respiratory care

Telehealth enables regular check-ups to monitor symptoms such as cough, wheeze and breathlessness, review inhaler technique, identify triggers, optimise medications and provide patient education. It is particularly useful following an acute exacerbation or for patients living in remote areas where travelling to respiratory clinics can be challenging. This digital approach aligns with the growing demand for Chronic respiratory care online.

Key elements for remote respiratory care

Asthma telehealth consultation :

Asthma telehealth consultation enables symptom review and monitoring through digital portals, allowing patients to self-report peak-flow readings and inhaler usage while clinicians track progress remotely.

Online inhaler technique training :

Online inhaler technique training allows clinicians to assess and correct inhaler use through video calls, improving medication delivery and symptom control.

Trigger avoidance :

Trigger avoidance and lifestyle support are delivered through virtual education sessions covering smoking cessation, air-quality monitoring, exercise and weight management.

Remote action plans for exacerbations :

Remote action plans for exacerbations are personalised for patients, backed by automated alerts and remote check-ins when symptoms worsen, supporting early intervention.

Benefits and Opportunities

Telehealth brings multiple advantages for long-term respiratory management, including:

Reduced hospital readmissions through early recognition of deteriorating symptoms and prompt virtual intervention using COPD remote monitoring tools.

Improved access for regional areas , allowing patients who struggle to attend in-person clinics to receive care from a virtual lung specialist Australia without travel barriers.

Patient empowerment, enabling more frequent touchpoints and personalised advice through home-based respiratory care.

Greater efficiency for clinics, as virtual follow-ups reduce the need for physical appointments and allow face-to-face consultations to be reserved for complex cases.

The use of telehealth follow-up for COPD / asthma ensures continuity of care even outside the clinical environment.

Challenges & Considerations

While telehealth is reshaping regional respiratory healthcare Australia, some challenges remain:

. Diagnostic limitations: spirometry and radiology still require in-person visits.
. Technology access: internet connectivity and device availability can limit participation, especially in rural areas.
. Variability of patient-entered data: accuracy of symptom scores and peak-flow readings may differ from clinical measurements.
. Management of severe exacerbations: clear clinical protocols are required to transition from virtual care to immediate emergency support when needed.

Telehealth in action: A patient journey

A 65-year-old COPD patient completes a hospital admission following an exacerbation. Upon discharge, the telehealth clinic schedules the first virtual appointment within one week. The clinician reviews inhaler technique via video, confirms the personalised action plan and arranges weekly remote check-ins for four weeks.

Using digital tools for COPD remote monitoring, the patient reports symptoms and peak-flow readings via an app. If indicators worsen — for example, breathlessness or sputum changes — an alert is triggered, prompting same-day remote assessment and referral to a local hospital if required. This approach helps the patient avoid unnecessary travel and reduces the risk of readmission.

Why this matters in the Australian context

With almost one in three Australians living with a chronic respiratory condition, geographic barriers and uneven specialist distribution make traditional respiratory care hard to access. Telehealth aligns with national digital-health trends and supports scalable virtual chronic disease management, helping clinicians and patients adopt flexible care models — a shift that expanded rapidly during the COVID-19 period.

Conclusion

Telehealth offers a powerful ecosystem for the management of asthma and COPD, strengthening continuity of care, improving access to respiratory expertise and enabling early intervention when symptoms worsen. For clinics across Australia, building a robust virtual respiratory pathway creates meaningful value for patients — particularly those in underserved communities — and reinforces the future of Chronic Respiratory Care Australia.