Telehealth means speaking with a doctor by phone instead of sitting in a waiting room. It suits health needs you can describe out loud: everyday illness, a script you are due for, a certificate, a referral. It is not the right fit for anything that needs an examination or hands-on testing.
How does a phone consultation work?
You book a time, a qualified Australian doctor calls you, and you talk. You describe what is going on and ask questions. Where it is clinically appropriate, the doctor can issue a certificate, a prescription or a referral, and it is sent to you digitally after the call.
Clinoraa consults happen by phone, so you can take the call from wherever suits you.
What is telehealth well suited to?
It works for common health needs that a conversation can cover. Everyday illness such as colds and flu. A prescription or repeat. A medical certificate for work, study or carer’s leave. A referral to a another doctor, or for pathology and imaging. General questions when getting to a clinic is hard.
It also helps with follow-up. Talking through how a plan is going rarely needs anyone in the same room.
You can manage consultations and records for partners, children and parents from one account.
What can a phone consult not do?
A doctor on the phone cannot examine you. No blood pressure reading, no listening to your chest, no looking in your ears or throat, no feeling a lump or checking a wound. They cannot see you either, so anything visual has to be described.
That is a genuine limit, and it is worth naming. A doctor will tell you when they need more than a conversation can give.
How do you decide between a phone consult and a clinic visit?
Ask yourself one question: can I describe this in words? If the answer is yes, a phone consult usually fits. If the concern is something a doctor would need to look at, press on, listen to or swab, book to be seen in person.
Phone tends to suit:
- an illness you can describe, with symptoms you can list
- a certificate, referral or prescription conversation
- checking in on something already assessed
- advice when you are unsure what to do next
Being seen in person tends to suit:
- a rash, mole, lump, wound or injury
- chest pain, breathing trouble, or anything severe
- symptoms that keep changing or getting worse
- anything needing a test done on the spot
If it is an emergency, call 000 or go to your nearest emergency department.
How do you describe symptoms well over the phone?
Detail does the work a physical examination would normally do. The more specific you are, the more the doctor has to work with.
Before the call, jot down:
- when it started, and whether it is better or worse since
- where it is, and what it feels like in plain words
- anything that makes it better or worse
- readings you have taken, such as a temperature
- what you have already tried
For anything visible, describe size, colour, edges and whether it has changed. A photo you take for your own reference gives you something concrete to describe from.
How do you prepare for your consult?
Find a quiet, private spot where you can talk freely. Have a list of your medication and any allergies within reach. Know your main symptoms and the day they started.
Have a pen ready. Writing down what the doctor says beats trying to remember it later.
Does telehealth replace your regular GP?
No, and it is not meant to. Telehealth works alongside in-person care. Some things need a room, a set of hands and equipment, and a doctor will tell you when yours is one of them.
Depending on what you describe, a doctor may recommend being seen in person, further investigation, or no treatment at all.
Ready to speak with a doctor?
If your concern is an everyday one, a phone consult may be the easiest way to get advice. Book a consult and talk it through with a qualified Australian doctor.
Your history stays in one place, so each consult builds on the last.
