What Happens in a Telehealth Consultation

Telehealth consultations allow you to speak with a healthcare professional without going into a clinic in person. Instead, they’re held by phone or video call depending on the type of consultation.

Although a Telehealth consultation at home might feel less formal than sitting in a consulting room, the purpose is the same. At the end of the consultation, your Doctor needs enough information to understand your health and assess whether treatment is appropriate.

Having a Telehealth consultation does not mean a prescription will automatically be issued. Your clinician still needs to assess your health and consider the possible benefits, risks and suitability of any treatment being discussed.

What happens before a consultation?

Before the appointment, you might be asked to fill out an eligibility or health questionnaire. This provides your Doctor with some background information before you speak to them.

You’ll be asked about your current health concerns, any previous treatment, and medicines you are, or have taken for it. Depending on your individual circumstances, other health information may also be requested.

It helps if you can keep an up-to-date list of any medicines you’re taking, including prescription medicines and supplements. Having this information about previous treatment makes it easier to answer questions accurately.

The information you provide should be as complete as possible.

What will your Doctor ask about?

Your Doctor will usually start by asking why you’ve made the appointment and about your health concerns.

You’ll be asked when the symptoms began, how often they occur and how they affect your everyday life. For example, a sleep problem would involve questions like; how long it takes to fall asleep, how often do you wake up at night, and how you feel the next day.

You might also be asked about previous treatments you’ve tried, how long you used them for, if they helped, and if you experienced any side effects or other problems.

Questions like these help build a clearer picture of your health instead of just considering one symptom by itself. The questions will vary because everyone has different symptoms, medical histories and treatment needs.

Why does your medical history matter?

Your medical history can affect the risks and suitability of a medicine, so a Telehealth consultation will always include questions about your current and past health.

Some questions might seem unrelated to the reason you made the appointment, but they provide information your Doctor needs when considering treatment. If you’re not sure of the answers to questions about your family's medical history, previous diagnoses, hospital treatment or other healthcare you have received, say so rather than guessing.

Questions about medicines and previous treatment

Your Doctor needs to know what medicines you are currently using before prescribing another treatment, even if it’s for a different condition. This helps them identify potential problems, including whether medicines may interact with one another, or whether your current treatment reduces the options available.

You may be asked about medicines you have used previously as well. Try to explain what happened rather than just saying if a treatment did or didn’t work. Any information about side effects, how long you took the medicine and why you stopped can provide useful context.

If a previous medicine caused an allergic reaction or another problem, make this clear during your consultation.

Discussing your lifestyle and circumstances

You could be asked about aspects of your everyday life because this can be relevant to your health and the safe use of medicines.

Your Doctor may ask if you drink alcohol and how much, and if you smoke or use other substances. Depending on your health concerns, they may also ask about sleep, work, exercise or other factors that could affect your symptoms.

Answering these questions openly provides better information for your Doctor to work with and understand factors that influence your health, treatment choices and risks associated with a medicine.

You should also mention anything about your work or daily activities that you think could be relevant.

What happens if treatment is considered appropriate?

After discussing your health, your Doctor will decide if a prescription is appropriate. They should explain the proposed treatment and give you an opportunity to ask questions including discussing how the medicine is used, possible side effects and other important information.

A prescription is not an automatic outcome of a telehealth appointment. This decision depends on your Doctor’s assessment of your health and whether prescribing a particular medicine is clinically appropriate.

If a prescription is issued through GoGoMed, it can be sent securely through to the in-house pharmacy for immediate processing. A pharmacist then reviews the prescription and dispensing requirements, and the prescription is filled and dispatched. This all happens within GoGoMed’s integrated Pharmacy.

Questions to ask during your consultation

The consultation is your opportunity to ask questions.

If a treatment is discussed, you should ask what it’s intended to do, how to use it, and if there are any side effects you should know about, and what you should do if you experience a problem.

If anything is unclear, ask your Doctor to explain it again. Medical terminology is sometimes difficult to understand, and you shouldn’t leave the consultation unsure about what you’ve discussed.

After your consultation

If a prescription is issued, you’ll be given information about a treatment plan and follow-up care, and the dispensing process can begin.

Keep the treatment instructions close by so you can refer to them whenever you need to. If you’re not sure how to use the medicine, experience unexpected effects or have more questions, speak to a healthcare professional rather than changing your treatment by yourself.

A Telehealth consultation should work much like any other clinical appointment. It gives your Doctor an opportunity to understand your health, and gives you the opportunity to ask questions, voice your concerns and understand the reasons for any treatment decisions.