Taking Online Medical Advice in Australia from Registered Doctors: What You Need to Know

Ever woken up sick or discovered a weird spot on the body and Googled your symptoms only to end up believing that you’re dying? We’ve all been there! While Google can be an excellent source of getting more information about your symptoms, it can also lead many people to believe their condition is more severe than it actually is.

This is why it is always better to talk to an actual, registered doctor online when you’re feeling unwell. While going to your local GP every time you need a sick day off, or for conditions like menstrual cramps or a cold may not be feasible, getting an online GP consultation may be a better option. Here’s what you need to know about getting online medical advice in Australia:

Telehealth services are not new. People as far back as the 1800s have been reported to ring their doctors for non-urgent care, and doctors have been making home visits for far longer than that. In fact, the radio has also previously been used to give medical advice to people in inaccessible areas, such as to sailors on long voyages.

Today, telehealth looks much different and is much more effective. Because of the superior quality of our cameras and microphones, the ability to have a video chat with your doctor and send pictures of skin conditions, patients get much better care than merely speaking to a GP over the phone. Online doctors can also easily email medical certificates, referrals and repeat prescriptions, and storing patient data on a single app has also become much easier. Not only is it much more effective and convenient for the patient, but it also saves the doctor valuable time that could be spent tending to patients with more severe needs.

Time and again, online telehealth services have faced criticism that the doctors offering these services are not real doctors, or do not have the necessary credentials to offer medical advice. This couldn’t be further from the truth. 

All online medical service providers in Australia are strictly monitored under Australian law and are fully HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) compliant. The certificates and referrals they provide are legitimate and accepted all over Australia. All doctors registered with the service are also AHPRA registered, something that can easily be checked using just the doctor’s name or registration number.

The best part of telehealth services is having access to reliable, highly qualified doctors when you need them, regardless of where you are. This is especially helpful for people who live in remote or rural areas with limited access to good healthcare. All they need is a stable internet connection and a device with internet connectivity to get in touch with a doctor from anywhere in Australia.

It is also very convenient for people who may skip out on making doctor visits even when they need them, simply because they are so inconvenient. Single parents may not have anyone to look after the children behind them if they schedule an appointment for after work hours, or may need to take time off work to make it to their appointment while the kids are at daycare. Then comes the waiting part. First you need to book an appointment, which may not always be available if the GP is particularly busy, then you need to travel to the doctor’s clinic and wait to be seen.

Telehealth services take the waiting out of the game by allowing all patients easy access to a doctor at a day and time of their own choice. All that is requried is a quiet spot to conduct the consultation at and you don’t even need to take any time off work! Get an online GP consultation right from your couch, or in your car outside your workplace, or even during your lunch break. The possibilities are endless!

Report this Page