Telehealth refers to providing medical consultations via video conferencing (new or follow up patients), or by phone call (follow up appointments only). Telehealth has been an accepted method of providing care for many years, and has mainly found use in rural and remote areas, where access to services can be difficult.

With COVID-19, and the implications for social distancing in waiting rooms and doctors offices, Telehealth has become increasingly helpful in providing remote specialist care.

• We can offer our services to you if you are isolating due to either having COVID-19, or if you are symptomatic and a close contact of someone that has COVID-19
• Most telehealth appointments are available within 1 week – the usual waiting times for patients to see a specialist can be longer than 1 month

We can see patients via Telehealth from anywhere in the world. Medicare rebates only apply for holders of a current Australian Medicare Card.

Effective 01 July 2022, in order to receive a rebate, Medicare requires all new Telehealth appointments to be conducted via video call. Follow up calls do not require video. Through video calls, we can:

• Take a full medical and family history
• Perform limited voice assessments
• Review your imaging (e.g. a CT scan or hearing test you may have already had completed)
• Provide referral forms for investigations like a hearing test or allergy testing
• Provide referral forms for imaging (e.g. X-rays, ultrasound or CT scans of the area you are worried about to gain information and/or reassurance)
• Provide medications where appropriate (e.g. antibiotics for chronic sinusitis)
• Review any photos or videos you may have such as a recording of someone snoring where you are worried about sleep apnoea, or a photo of your tonsils – many patients take these on their smart phones
• Look in your mouth
• Review a wound
• Do a facial and neurological assessment (limited)
• Do a basic balance test
• Review a facial nerve palsy

Our staff will organise your video Telehealth call and provide you a link for use on the day of your appointment.

If it becomes apparent that your particular condition requires urgent face to face examination or assessment, we can arrange to do this with appropriate protective equipment either in the clinic, or in a hospital nearby.