Abstract for: Uncovering the Dynamics of Telehealth Implementation and Its Unintended Consequences: A Case of Rural Australia

Despite the rapid uptake of telehealth in recent years, there has thus far been limited research investigating its unintended consequences, particularly on healthcare delivery in rural areas. This study offers a dynamic whole-system understanding of telehealth implementation in rural Australia and its unintended consequences by emphasising the interconnectedness and the recursive relationships between the various elements involved and how that gave rise to unexpected benefits and drawbacks. The study builds on our previous work that analysed participants' views and generated a conceptual model of telehealth implementation and its system archetypes using causal loop diagrams (CLDs). Generated diagrams of these archetypes were used as an initial input for analysis and will be followed by a participatory modelling workshop to refine generated CLDs before converting them to stock and flow diagrams. We will use Vensim software for system dynamics modelling and scenario simulation to gain deeper insights into the unintended consequences of telehealth and its impact on the health of rural Australians.