Telehealth to stay for Sconeites

THE federal government has announced telehealth appointments with general practitioners will remain available on Medicare following their availability during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr Richard Abbott said telehealth is good for situations which don’t require a hands-on examination.

“It’s shown to be beneficial for people who need simple things done, obviously it does have limitations because you can’t examine someone properly for routine stuff,” said Dr Abbott.

Under the Medicare guidelines patients must first have one face to face appointment with their doctor within 12 months of having a telehealth appointment.

“It can only be done if the patient has been seen by the practice within the last 12 months and preferably it should be less than that, I think three to six months is better,” said Dr Abbott.

“They [patients] should be known to the practice, so it’s not really helpful for patients who are not regular to the practice.

“We have a fairly stable patient base here and it works very well for them, so effectively it’s a very positive step.”

The cost of a telehealth appointment is generally the same as an appointment in person and you should check the cost as each practice may differ with what they charge.