Telehealth

Frequently Asked Questions

What is telehealth?

Telehealth or virtual healthcare provides a way of having an appointment with your  without seeing them in person. It’s sometimes also called e-consultation.

It might involve:

• Sending messages via your patient portal
• Emailing, texting or having a phone call with your physiotherapist
• Having a video call where you can see your physiotherapist and talk about your condition just as you would if you were in the same room.

Benefits include:

• Removing the risk of catching or spreading germs
• Reducing time and costs involved with travelling to an appointment
• Not having to leave the house when you are feeling unwell.

What can I expect from a telehealth consult?

Different health professionals will have different approaches to what or who they communicate with using these technologies. This depends upon their level of experience and what facilities they have available to them, and to you.

Do I need to pay?

These consultation are covered by ACC, and for the duration of the lock down we are wavering our co-payment fee

Will my information be secure and safe?

Yes, your health professional will keep your information secure and safe, and will treat the information you share with them in the same way as they normally would if you were to see them in person.

What if I need a physical examination?

As your health professional will not be able to examine you, sometimes you may be asked to examine yourself. Sometimes it can help to have someone else you are comfortable with do this for you. This could be a family member, a friend or another health professional.

How should I prepare for my telehealth consult?

1. If you are having a scheduled appointment you are likely to be sent a link by email (sometimes by text). You will need to click on this link. Take care that the link is the one you were expecting from your healthcare professional.
2. Make sure you are in a comfortable and private place.
3. It’s best if have a hands-free device. If you have a smart phone, find a way to prop it up so that you can move about.
4. Make sure that you have tested out your audio. You may need to have a set of earphones to hear well.
5. You may want to have a family/whānau member or friend with you. That’s fine – just tell the health professional when you join that they are there.
6. Write a list of what you want to talk about and have a pen and paper handy to write anything down if you need to.
7. Have all of your medicines with you, either in a list or in the packaging.
8. Make sure that there is no one else streaming information from linked-in devices while you are having your consult, eg, if someone is watching a video on the wi-fi network you are using, your video may be poor quality.

How do I keep myself safe using telehealth?

Telehealth services are secure and the same levels of privacy and security apply to this type of consultation as they normally would for your normal doctor visits.

Since telehealth consults will take place from your own device and home environment, you have a role to play in keeping yourself safe online. Follow the guides from CERT NZ and these tips and advice for good online safety habits.

Check out the instructions on how to use the telehealth service and enable all security and privacy features before you have your first virtual consultation. Some services may have a waiting room so you can test the connection in advance.

If possible, close any other applications or web-browser windows before and during the consultation to avoid performance and security issues. If internet speed is an issue, turning off video might help.

This new way of seeing your physiotherapistand other health providers is part of keeping physical distance from each other as much as possible – something we need to be doing to help keep everyone safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Who can benefit from telehealth appointments?

If you have difficulty getting to your appointments due to cost, mobility issues, living remotely or lack of transport options, telehealth can make it easier for you to get your healthcare needs met.

If you have a communicable disease (one that can be passed on to other people), using telehealth helps to keep other people safe from catching that disease.

It’s also a good option if your appointment is a follow-up rather than a first consultation. It’s a good way to stay in touch with your physiotherapist on a more regular basis if you have a chronic condition.

If you are self-isolating, you must use some kind of telehealth option rather than turn up or expect an in-person visit. Ring first and if more is needed, the healthcare team will advise you what to do.

How do I arrange a telehealth appointment?

Book online via tab at the top of the page ring the clinic on 09 4388 207

When can I see my physiotherapist in person?

When the alert level is back to Level 2, we can open our clinic for in person consultations

What should I do if I think I have COVID-19?

If you have travelled overseas in the past 14 days, or have been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19, and you think you might have the symptoms of COVID-19, phone your GP Healthline (for free) on 0800 358 5453 (or +64 9 358 5453 for international SIMs).

What about my specialist or DHB appointments?

Given the COVID-19 emergency, hospitals and outpatient clinics will also shift to more telehealth consultations. This can save you a lot of time and effort so you will probably be pleasantly surprised how well it works.