Almost 17 million Australians have accessed Telehealth services during the “COVID years” of 2020 to 2022 and that number is set to increase every year.
It’s now more common than ever to call or text your doctor looking for a script or a certificate to take to work and it prevents you having to wander into a doctor’s surgery ill.
“Telehealth is here to stay. It plays an important role in healthcare in Australia and has opened great opportunities to improve access to and deliver of care, including to rural and remote patients and people living with disadvantage,” Board chair of the Medical Board of Australia Dr Anne Tonkin AO said.
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Given its importance, the Medical Board of Australia has released new guidelines under which telehealth can be provided in Australia. These guidelines are to take effect from September 1, 2023.
The new guidelines specify that when prescribing for a patient, there must be a real-time direct consultation whether via phone call or video.
Since launching less than two years ago, Updoc has helped thousands of people access telehealth appointments from anywhere in Australia.
Co-founder Dylan Coyne was drawn to the concept when he became frustrated by dealing with the already overloaded healthcare system just for something as straightforward as a doctor’s certificate.
“I found that whenever I was sick I needed to book an appointment which I often couldn’t get as most doctors can only see a limited number of people per week,” Dylan says.
“Then I needed to travel while sick if I could even get a doctor, wait in an awkward consultation room, tell a GP ‘I’m sick and I need a medical certificate for work’ and then travel home after paying.”
Put simply, he found it was a massive chore that could easily be solved through telehealth in a much smaller time frame.
That’s why he created Updoc – an app that’s been praised as a “lifesaver service”.
Users can easily speak with a registered health practitioner about any health-related issues they need help with, from anywhere in Australia.
They simply fill out a consultation form to cover off their health needs before an independent, registered health practitioner reviews it and calls within hours.
If required, they’ll sort a new prescription and provide a referral or medical certificate immediately via email.
General consultations start from $49.95 and customers have praised the convenience of the extended consultation hours.
Updoc general consultations are available 9am to 10pm on weekdays and 9am to 5pm on weekends and can be accessed from anywhere in Australia.