Are you wondering when you might need to use telehealth versus visiting your health professional in person?
This is a really tough question, and the simple answer is that telehealth is all about convenience. In some cases, such as a dietitian appointment, you may be able to completely replace face-to-face visits with telehealth, but when it comes to a GP appointment, there are times when it is more suitable than others. GP telehealth consultations are designed for when you are too sick to leave your home, or when you simply cannot access your GP due to long waiting periods or it being after hours.
For example, You may have forgotten to get a new prescription, and once you remember it is too late to book an appointment - this is where telehealth can come in handy!
In cases when you need telehealth, you can make a telehealth appointment with your health professional such as a GP or naturopath.
It’s worth noting that during your telehealth appointment you may be advised to go to a face-to-face consultation, as the practitioner might think this is necessary. During your appointment the healthcare provider may find it necessary that you need to physically see someone to determine an appropriate course of action for you or your loved one.
How do you know when to use a Telehealth appointment versus a face-to-face consultation?
Both telehealth and face-to face consultations have their place and it is all just dependent on the nature of your condition, problem, or query.
A quick way of deciding what is best for you is to consider, if you have a general question or something that the healthcare provider doesn’t physically have to examine - if so, a telehealth appointment is ideal. If it is something physical you need to have examined in person, that won’t be possible via telephone or video, so please book a face-to-face consultation with your regular provider!
It is also important to remember that GP telehealth appointments available at healthylife are not designed to replace your regular GP - it is for when you simply cannot access your GP and need super convenient access to care.
Is there a difference in cost?
The costs of both a Telehealth appointment and face-to-face consultation are pretty similar - but this can depend on when you are booking - so please do your own research.
Now with the increasing amount of General Practices moving from bulk-billing to private billing, the costs are generally on par.
You will need to speak to your healthcare provider directly to see how much a face-to-face consultation is vs a telehealth consultation. At healthylife, costs can start anywhere from $25 for a medical certificate, $45 for a telehealth consult or prescription request.
Ultimately, both telehealth consultations and face-to-face consultations have their own space in your health journey and it just comes down to your specific needs and what is deemed appropriate by the practitioner you are consulting with.
Reviewed by healthylife health experts April 2023.
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