Are Online Doctors Any Good?
At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, many people were forced to consult a doctor by phone or online simply because they weren’t able to travel or were too scared to do so. Now that things are almost back to normal, online consultations are still the preferred choice for many due to their numerous benefits over traditional methods.
An online doctor consultation can be undertaken from the comfort of your own home at a time and date that suits you. There are no long waits to make an appointment, no travelling to a distant location and no sitting for long periods in waiting rooms with people who are sick. That means there’s no chance of catching something from other patients so that you finish up worse than you started.
Although all these benefits and more mean that more people than ever are taking advantage of online doctors in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and across Australia some still have doubts about them. Chief among these are worries about whether a remote consultation can really be reliable.
Ensuring a Reliable Online Doctor Consultation
All or most gp online consulting services are able to issue prescriptions and medical certificates. For these to be valid, they have to be filled out correctly, completed by medical practitioners who are registered with the Medical Board of Australia and have to contain all the necessary information. You can easily check registrations on the board’s website and therefore reassure yourself of the reliability of the providers.
Since all providers are properly registered and qualified, they are obliged to provide a professional medical service. As a result, they will be thorough in the way they consult with and treat you and they will keep proper records of your treatment and medical history.
Most online providers will have access to more medical practitioners than are generally available at individual practices. That means they can often provide a specialist opinion that might not otherwise be available such as searching for an erectile dysfunction specialist in Melbourne or if you just need anxiety medication prescribed online. Coupled with the convenience and cost-effectiveness of online consultations, this means you can often get a second opinion if you are unsure of the diagnosis or proposed treatment plan resulting from a face-to-face consultation.
In order to ensure your online consultation is as reliable as possible, make sure you have a dependable and fully working internet connection and a suitable device to access it. You don’t need any great technical knowledge because the process for undergoing an online doctor consultation is quite simple.
As with any type of medical consultation, it’s best to be prepared. So make a list of your symptoms and be fully aware of your medical history and current medication so you can provide your doctor with all relevant facts that will make your diagnosis and treatment more straightforward.
Why Instant Consult’s Online Doctor Consultations are Completely Reliable
At Instant Consult, we employ many registered practitioners with a range of skills. They’re all familiar with the techniques necessary for online consultations and are fully aware of their responsibilities. Consequently, we don’t try to deal with emergencies or anything that needs a physical examination.
If we can’t deal with something ourselves, we’ll refer a patient to someone who can. But if we do have the capability, which is usually the case, we’ll deal with each patient efficiently and responsibly. Our primary concern is the health of our patients so you can rely on the quality of our online doctor consultations.
To understand what an online doctor can prescribe or refer you can read our article on what our doctors can do updated for 2024.