Telehealth

Patients have recently been asking about the availability and suitability of Telehealth (video and/or phone) consultations. We understand the convenience Telehealth can offer however would like to clarify our approach to its use, with patient safety and quality of care as our priority.

Telehealth is a useful tool; however, it is not a substitute for a face-to-face medical examination. Where safe diagnosis or management depends on physical examination findings, an in-person consultation is essential.

Medicare has strict rules governing access to Medicare benefits for Telehealth services. For example, patients are generally required to have had a face-to-face consultation within the previous 12 months. However, Medicare eligibility does not determine clinical appropriateness.

Irrespective of Medicare requirements, Telehealth has inherent clinical limitations. These include the absence of physical examination, a reduced ability to observe non-verbal cues, and increased reliance on patient-reported information. There is also a diminished capacity to confirm or exclude red-flag conditions, as well as limited access to vital signs and point-of-care assessment.

As a result, Telehealth is not suitable for new or undifferentiated presentations, or for clinical scenarios where diagnosis depends on examination rather than history alone. New symptoms — particularly pain, rapid deterioration, chest pain, shortness of breath, or other red-flag features — cannot be adequately assessed via Telehealth, and in these situations Telehealth is generally not appropriate.

Telehealth may be appropriate where a physical examination is not required to make a safe clinical decision, such as discussing the results of investigations following a recent face-to-face consultation.

For these reasons, we recommend face-to-face consultations wherever possible, as they allow for a more thorough assessment and the safest standard of care. Telehealth may be offered selectively, where it is clinically appropriate and in the patient’s best interests.