Telehealth Consultation

Online Live Video & Telephone Telehealth Consultation Available With A Consultant Dermatologist 

How does live video/telephone telehealth consultation work?

Telehealth consultation is the use of digital technologies to allow doctors to provide health care services remotely. In light of the pandemic of the Coronavirus we are now offering this service to all patients, existing and new, Australia wide

Once the booking is made, we can invite you via a text or email link to a secure online video consultation site (Doxy.me).  All you have to do is to accept the invitation, wait in the virtual waiting room before a specialist dermatologist connects with you.

If you don’t have access to a smart phone or a computer, we can call you on your phone.

Clear photos of your condition are often helpful.

Do I need a referral if I choose to use video/telephone consultation with you?

Yes, we always prefer a referral so that we can communicate with your GP.

You are now able to claim a medicare rebate for telehealth consultation with a valid referral

What sorts of conditions are suitable for video consultations?

The conditions that are suitable for video consultation include

• Acne
• Rosacea
• Eczema
• Psoriasis
• Hand rash/eczema
• Facial rash
• Body rash
• Itch
• Scaly/peeling scalp
• Melasma/pigmentation
• Vitiligo
• Hair loss
• Medication reviews
• Consult for procedures

What sorts of conditions are NOT suitable for video  consultations?

Video consultation is not suitable for the following

• Routine skin check
• Procedures

What do I do if I am worried about a mole/spot?

If you are worried about a mole/spot, you can email us a CLEAR photo of your spot and connect with us via video consultation.   We can either reassure you if it is obviously benign, or we’ll invite you to attend the clinic in person to have your concerning lesion assessed and treated.

Is Telehealth (video/telephone) consultation bulk billed?

We are a private billing clinic, we charge a private fee for most consultations. Payment from Medicare bulk billing unfortunately does not cover the running cost of our specialist clinic.

How much does it cost to have a video/telephone telehealth consultation with your dermatologist?

• With a referral:
  • New patient telehealth consult  $165 out of pocket
  • Existing patient telehealth consult $153 out of pocket

• Without a referral
  • New patient telehealth consult $240
  • Existing patient telehealth consult $190

• If your problem cannot be assessed/treated through a telehealth consult,  then your telehealth consult can be bulk billed provided that you have a valid referral.  You will be then assessed “in clinic”

• “In clinic” appointment – as previous private fee schedule, subject to medicare rebate, please ensure you have a valid referral.

What if I need a script or blood test after the video consultation?

Your prescription and pathology request will be mailed to you. Upon request, we can also fax/email the prescription to a local chemist.

Which dermatologists are available for video consultation at your clinic?

All dermatologists who consult out of our rooms are available for video consultation. Please refer to our website to view the profiles of the specialist dermatologists.

All dermatologists are Fellows of the Australasian College of Dermatologists (FACD), the only skin specialist qualification recognised by Medicare Australia.

Are you still operating in clinic?

Our reception service is available Monday – Friday 9-5pm.

Our phototherapy service will continue for those with severe conditions that require phototherapy.

We will continue to see and treat all patients through a combination of telehealth consultations and face to face consultations.

All routine skin check appointments will be rescheduled to a later date unless you have a specific concern.

How will the dermatologist confirm and verify that it is truly me when they ring me for the consultation?

Your specialist dermatologist will ask for 3 points of identification from you to ensure you are the patient.

What kind of infection control precautions are you undertaking at the clinic during the Coronavirus outbreak?

To help stop the spread of Coronavirus infection, we are taking the following precautions:

• Masks & sanitisers: all attending patients will be asked to use hand sanitiser upon entry, and be given a mask to wear during the visit to our clinic.
• Non touch rule: we ask all patients to refrain from touch any common surfaces, to allow us to open the and close the doors for them
• Distancing in waiting rooms: In our Fitzroy North clinic, we have the facility to distance patients in waiting rooms ensuring only 1 patient in each waiting area. In our Reservoir clinic, we endeavour to reduce the waiting time, reduce the number of people in the waiting room by asking patients to waiting in their car, or waiting in a consult room.
• Disinfecting: We are regularly disinfecting all surfaces such door handles, medical equipments, frequently used surfaces, phototherapy machine
• Screening & rescheduling any patients who are unwell within 48 hours, or have travelled overseas in the last 14 days or have been in close contact with a COVID affected person
• We request for all patients to attend their appointments alone, or with a single carer if required
• We are implementing strict hand hygiene among staff.
• Face masks and googles will be worn by our clinical staff and admin staff.