Teladoc and Telstra Spark Australia’s Health Tech Leap

Teladoc’s Telecare deal and Telstra Health’s FHIR overhaul mark major step in virtual care reform

15 Oct 2025

Australia’s virtual healthcare sector is entering a new phase as Teladoc and Telstra Health move to deepen integration between digital platforms and patient data systems. The two initiatives together point to a more connected and data-driven national health framework.

In August 2025, global telehealth group Teladoc acquired Telecare, an Australian virtual care network employing about 300 specialists across more than 30 disciplines. Telecare will retain its brand but expand Teladoc’s reach in regional areas and strengthen ties with hospitals using Teladoc’s technology. The acquisition is intended to improve specialist access and continuity of care through shared digital infrastructure.

Meanwhile, the Australian Digital Health Agency has awarded Telstra Health, along with partners Smile Digital Health and Leidos Australia, a A$33mn contract to modernise the My Health Record system. The project will adopt the international FHIR data standard, allowing real-time, interoperable sharing of medical information between hospitals, telehealth providers, and third-party applications.

Teladoc’s growing virtual network is expected to benefit from this new standardised data environment. Use of My Health Record has accelerated, with views of clinical documents, laboratory results and imaging reports rising more than 60 per cent over the past year. The reforms aim to address persistent challenges in interoperability and information security across healthcare platforms.

For patients, the changes could translate into faster specialist appointments and improved coordination across care settings. For clinicians and developers, the upgrade is expected to enable more sophisticated digital therapeutics and personalised health tools.

However, the transition poses operational risks, including the migration of existing data, the protection of sensitive information, and ensuring smaller technology vendors can align with the FHIR framework.

If successful, these combined efforts could position Australia as a leader in interoperable, patient-centred digital health, offering a potential model for other national healthcare systems seeking to modernise data infrastructure.