Home Care Telehealth

5. What should you expect from your consultation?

Depending on the allied health service which you are accessing, your consultation may include:

• Enquires as to your current concerns with follow-up questions to determine what the issue is

• You will be asked what you want to achieve from the consultation and ongoing service.

• Our clinicians benefit from a detailed and clear explanation of your current condition and any relevant past medical history.

• You will receive a clear and personalised plan for how to treat/manage your current condition.

• Your care will be in line with the latest evidence, the same as you would receive during a face-to-face appointment.

• Depending on your current condition, a face-to-face appointment may be recommended and scheduled.

 6. How does telehealth work?

Your telehealth appointment will be fairly similar to a face-to-face appointment and may include:

• An in-depth discussion about your condition

• Demonstrating or having you perform certain movements or other tests on the screen which will be monitored by your clinician

• A detailed discussion of the findings of the assessment

• Advice and education about your condition

• Videos, an exercise sheet or a treatment plan may be developed and shared with you.

• A summary of your appointment, exercise or treatment plan provided

• An appropriate follow-up to track the progress of your treatment plan and condition

7. How do I organise telehealth at home?

Complete our telehealth referral form here to see if a Guide Healthcare allied health clinician can support a telehealth appointment for your condition. We will advise if telehealth is a good option for you.

Most of our telehealth consultations take place via the secure online platform Zoom, which is our preferred software. However, depending on your preference, we can consider other platforms (e.g. Skype, WhatsApp).

The important things that you will need at home for a telehealth appointment are easily accessible and include:

• a laptop, tablet or mobile device, or a computer with a microphone and camera

• strong, reliable internet connection

• quiet setting

• a suitable space - you may need to be able to move around

8. Is it as effective as face to face consultations?

There is a lot of evidence that shows that allied health services accessed via telehealth are just as effective as face-to-face consultations. Many components of a telehealth consultation are no different than a face-to-face appointment.

9. Is a telehealth consultation safe?

Telehealth consults allow you to continue your treatment without interruption and without putting you at risk of further injury or health deterioration. They are as safe as regular face-to-face appointments. Guide Healthcare’s allied health clinicians are trained to manage your safety and will carefully assess risks. They may ask you to have a support person with you if they identify any risks, or they may advise that you don’t use telehealth if they do not think it is a safe and effective treatment for you.

10. How is my privacy protected?

Guide Healthcare’s allied health clinicians will maintain the same level of privacy standards as they would if they were visiting you in your own home. You can discuss with our clinicians how privacy is managed if you have any concerns. If our clinicians wish to record images or video of your consultation, for example, how you perform certain exercises, they will ask for your permission first – you do not have to agree to your session being recorded if you do not want to.