During the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual telehealth appointments became widely used to help patients access healthcare while patients remained socially isolated.
Many people were introduced to the convenience and efficiency of telehealth GP services and were in no rush to turn back.
Online doctor appointments facilitate a new, accessible form of healthcare that resonates with the modern way of the world.
While it can not treat all medical conditions,we predict that online GP services are here to stay - here are five reasons why.
In an era of remote and hybrid working as well as endless online opportunities such as online banking and shopping, it is only natural that healthcare would soon follow this.
With an online GP appointment, you achieve:
With online doctor appointments, you are no longer limited to typical doctors’ hours that can conflict with your schedule. Instead, you can pick a convenient time including after hours that works alongside your schedule and commitments.
For example, Private Medical’s service is available online 12 hoursper day, 7 days per week across Australia.
You can schedule a telehealth GP appointment from any location. Some patients attend their online GP appointment from the comfort of their home, during a break at work or from their holiday location.
When there is no need to be physically present, there is no travel involved and you don't have to stress about attending a physical appointment - ideal if you are unwell or contending with a busy schedule.
Being able to pick a time that works for you helps to reduce yourtravel time to and from in person doctor’s appointments and your wait times in your busy local medical centre or ED.
Online GP appointments allow doctors to connect with patients beyond geographical barriers.
If you have limited healthcare facilities nearby in your local area, extended wait times for an appointment or face transportation difficulties attending in person medical appointments, online telehealth services are instantly more accessible.
This is a significant advantage for patients who need to see a GP who are based hundreds of miles away.
You are also able to schedule appointments when you see fit, rather than joining a long waitlist or spending hours in a waiting room.
Speaking of waiting rooms, withonline GP appointments you can wave goodbye to them entirely with the use of a telehealth appointment.
The days of sitting in a crowded medical waiting room, full of patients with potentially contagious viruses and infections, are over.
Instead, you can schedule your telehealth doctor appointmentonline, and simply click your unique link when your appointment time arrives.
The only waiting room you will need to enter is a virtual one, where your online doctor or onlineGP will join you over a video call.
Telehealth appointments can be particularly beneficial for protecting older and more vulnerable individuals, such as those with compromised immune systems or chronic illnesses.
To consult a GP online, book an appointment here or arrange anappointment over the phone by calling us on 135 001.
Consistent online GP telehealth appointments can have numerous benefits for your health, as a GP can understand your circumstances and monitor your progress.
With an online GP appointment, you can arrange frequent appointments with the GP of your choice and receive regular professional medical care in return.
Patients also tend to experience less anxiety when they take an appointment in a comfortable, familiar space, as hospitals and doctor's offices can be intimidating and overwhelming.
By eliminating the imposing professional environment, patients can relax into an honest conversation with their doctor. This results in more efficient communication, a better patient-doctor relationship and more specifically targeted care.
Online GP appointments are already incredibly efficient when it comes to prescribing medication and transferring records.
Telehealth can also use unique technical tools to exchange information. For instance, doctors can use screen sharing to display detailed visuals to patients, which can enhance their understanding of their medical condition.
Perhaps with the right equipment,doctors will soon be able to listen to a patient's heartbeat, take their blood pressure, and look in their ear with an otoscope remotely, by connecting specially developed equipment and devices.
We can only predict that telehealth services will evolve and grow alongside technological advances.
Although telehealth cannot currently serve all medical conditions and we certainly should not discard in-person appointments completely, it is clear that online GP appointments resonate well with the current digital age.
Without a doubt, online doctor services are here to stay, so why not try it for yourself?
Private Medical is an online doctor / GP service providing GP appointment sand doctor telehealth consultations from the comfort of your home or any Australia-wide location.
Take the first steps by booking an appointment online, or to call us phone AU 135 001.
You can also reach the Private Medical team via our online contact form or by emailing admin@privatemedical.net.
