Telehealth - Overview
The Primary Health Network recommends telehealth as a complementary service offering for patients.
Call the National Coronavirus Helpline on 1800 020 080 for information on coronavirus (COVID-19) or help with the COVIDSafe app. The line operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
COVID-19 resources
Telehealth resources
If your patient may need assistance to participate in a video consultation, ask them whether a family member or carer can help them on the day, and share the following resources with them in advance.
healthdirect Video Call resources
To get the most out of a video consultation, advise your patients:
COVID-19 resources
Telehealth resources
Appointments via video consultation are particularly useful for patients living in Residential Aged Care Facilities (RACF), who may have trouble getting out to appointments.
Video consultation provides patients with access to a GP when it might not otherwise be possible (e.g. during COVID-19, on a day the GP isn’t scheduled to visit, or when the resident is unwell).
Video consultations do not replace face-to-face consultations and not suitable for all appointments.
However, where suitable, video consultations offer benefits to GP and residents of RACF.
Resident / Residential Aged Care Facility | General Practitioner |
---|---|
Less patient distress | Sees the patient in their usual environment |
Reduced waiting times and travel times | Can access patients quickly and easily without needing to visit in person |
Fewer hospital transfers | |
Easy for family and carers to participate | |
Increased access to GPs, Allied Health Professionals and Specialists | |
Can access patients quickly and easily without needing to visit in person |
Primary Care Quality Improvement Community of Practice Webinar #1 - Telehealth
Mastermind: Quality patient care via telehealth
COVID-19 Update #15 - Telehealth (from 20:52)
Quality Improvement Community of Practice #4 - Telehealth
Adapting to Telehealth for Allied Health & Commissioned Services
Mastermind: Overview & Guide to Telehealth in General Practice
The Primary Health Network recommends telehealth as a complementary service offering for patients.
We’ve compiled the answers below to help make video consultations simple, easy and successful for practitioners and patients.