Telehealth frequently asked questions

Healthcare can be provided safely and effectively using telehealth.

Telehealth makes it possible for Alfred Health to provide you with specialist’s care at a location convenient to you.  Telehealth services can include diagnosis, treatment and management advice. Your telehealth consultation is conducted over a video or a telephone call. A telehealth (video) consultation is much like a regular appointment at the hospital, but you will be speaking with and seeing your specialist in a video-call using a desktop computer, laptop, tablet, or smartphone.

As with a face-to-face appointment, you will arrive and wait in a (virtual) waiting area until the clinician joins you. The consultation is delivered via a secure and private virtual clinic room. No part of the consultation is recorded nor is it shared with anyone that is not present.

Your clinician has decided that your care needs can be met on this occasion via a telehealth appointment. If you prefer an in-person appointment rather than a telehealth appointment, then you should discuss this with your specialist. They will consider your specific needs and condition when deciding what type of appointment will be most suitable. Please ask your clinician if you would prefer a video appointment and they will decide if this is appropriate.

Alfred Health will maintain a high standard of care regardless of whether you have a consultation in person or via telehealth. Many aspects of healthcare can be provided safely via telehealth.

No. Eligible Telehealth consultations will be bulk-billed to Medicare. There will be no cost to you. 

All Telehealth consultations are private, confidential and adhere to the same clinical standards as face-to-face consultations at Alfred Health.

If the connection is interrupted or lost, the consultation will be continued by telephone or another appointment time will be booked.

If you are experiencing technical issues on the day and are unable to start the video consultation, please call the telehealth support team on (03) 9076 3302.

Yes, please ask your Alfred Health specialist for an interpreter when you are requesting a Telehealth appointment. We will organise for an interpreter to support you in your Telehealth consultation.

If your appointment needs to be rescheduled, we will organise a new date and time. 

Please contact us using the details on your Alfred Health appointment letter or confirmation SMS to make these changes. If you have not received either of these, please contact the Alfred Health reception.

Your specialist will decide, based on your specific needs, condition, and treatment plan, what type of appointment (face to face / video / telephone is suitable for you). Please ask your specialist if you prefer a video call and you have been offered a telephone call.

Yes, your family or carer can attend your Telehealth appointment.

If you are running late, we cannot guarantee that a clinician will be available at a different time.

Please ensure that you start a telehealth call at least 10 minutes before your appointment. This will let you troubleshoot any issues that might delay your call.

Our services can be busy. We will do our best to see you as close to your appointment time as possible and appreciate your patience in this matter. Some clinics may experience significant delays and we suggest allocating 2-3 hours, as if attending this appointment in-person.  The appointment time will remain unchanged.

If you feel that you may need support for your Telehealth appointment, you have the option to:

• Ask your GP to participate in the Telehealth consultation, so that your GP is in the same room as you both speak to your Alfred Health clinician via video call.
• Ask to use the equipment and internet connection in your GP practice. This option may be helpful if you don’t have the right equipment, have an unreliable internet connection, or if you are not comfortable using computers. Your GP would not need to participate in the appointment, but their support staff could help you to set up and make the video call in a private room.

To arrange this support, please complete the following steps:

• Book an appointment with your GP office on the same date and time as your Alfred Health appointment. Remember to tell them it’s for a telehealth appointment with Alfred Health, and let them know what kind of support you would like.  
• Contact Alfred Health to provide our staff with details regarding the GP practice involved in your supported appointment. Use the contact information at the bottom of your Alfred Health appointment letter.

This can be a common issue and is especially a problem if you live a long distance from The Alfred. There are many local venues who are available to help provide you with the equipment and internet to enable your telehealth appointment.

Please email or phone our team for a list of suitable venues near your home.

If you would prefer to have a face-to-face appointment please speak to your relevant department.

No one is permitted to record the call without consent of all the attendees present on the call.

We welcome and encourage patients and their families to give us feedback about their experiences. Your feedback is important to us and helps us know what we are doing well and where we need to improve. You can provide feedback in different ways. Use the link at the bottom of this page or visit our feedback page.