With the rise in prevalence of Telehealth services due to COVID-19 and changes in government policy, there has been increasing talk in the media about how Telehealth consultations compare to in-person consultations.  We’ve been conducting consultations by video for quite a while now, but as more people give it a try for the first time, we thought we’d bust some myths we’ve heard going around about Telehealth-type services.

__Myth 1: You can’t get continuity of care with Telehealth services __

There is a perception that it is a bit of a lottery when you book a Telehealth appointment, as to which practitioner you will get.  It’s true, that some other services operate on a different system whereby you just speak to the first available practitioner, but for us at SwiftDoc, continuity of care is extremely important.  That means, when you make a booking, you choose the practitioner you would like to speak to.  So you can you choose the same one each time!  We keep records of your consultations in the same way as those practitioners you see in person, so we have a clear picture of your health built up over time.

The extra benefit of this continuity of care is that if you move to a different part of the country, or change job arrangements (for example to work night shifts) or go on a holiday and get sick while you are away, you still can continue your care with the same practitioner.  That’s the beauty of the internet!

Myth 2: You need to be able to physically examine someone to diagnose them

It’s true, that in some cases a physical examination is required, but we’ve identified that for 18 of the 20 most common reasons for visiting a GP, a physical examination is not required.  If you think about, quite often when you do see a GP in person, they don’t always conduct a physical examination, but rather can diagnose and treat based on a discussion with you about your symptoms and medical history.

Plenty of reasons for seeing the GP can easily be dealt with via Telehealth – such as issuing repeat prescriptions, arranging testing, referring to a specialist, examining skin conditions or ongoing maintenance of chronic health conditions.

Myth 3: It’s not safe

The rise in Telehealth services as a response to COVID-19 was certainly rapid, and while there are some guidelines around using Skype, Zoom or other platforms, the regulations probably need a bit of time to catch up.

Luckily for us, we’ve been doing this for a long time.  So we’ve developed our own secure app, that you can download for free from the App Store or Google Play and we make sure we keep at the forefront of any technological or security advances by continually working on the features of our app.

It does allow us to set ourselves apart from the pack, but not only that, the app offers convenience with booking and payment all in the one secure spot.

So hopefully that has busted a few myths that have sprung up in the last few months.  This COVID-19 period when we are encouraged to stay home, or may be working flexible or unusual hours is a great time to give SwiftDoc services a go.  Bulk billed options are available too.  

Download the app from the App Store and Google Play and book an appointment today.

This website does not provide medical advice.  It is intended for informational purposes only.  It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.  Never ignore professional medical advice in seeking treatment.  If you think you may have a medical emergency, immediately dial Triple 0 (000).