• Improved access to healthcare for remote or rural patients enhances healthcare accessibility.
• Reduced travel time and costs benefit both patients and providers.
• Real-time assistance with difficult cases and emergencies ensures prompt and effective care.
• Enhanced patient engagement and satisfaction contribute to better healthcare outcomes.
• Professional collaboration enables easier cooperation among healthcare professionals, enhancing multidisciplinary care.
• Continuity of care for patients with chronic conditions or mobility issues ensures consistent and comprehensive treatment.

• Flexible scheduling and appointment management streamline administrative processes.
• Efficient utilisation of healthcare resources and specialists’ time optimises service delivery.
• Service delivery growth opportunities contribute to practice expansion and development.
• Increased practice efficiency and time savings improve overall productivity.
• Cost-effective delivery of services benefits both the practice and patients.
• Improved allocation of consulting rooms within a practice enhances operational efficiency.

Tailored for remote-end clinicians providing medical, health, and wellbeing services to the aged care sector from offsite locations. This includes GPs, medical specialists, and allied health professionals such as psychologists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, exercise physiologists, wound treatment specialists, counsellors, dietitians, and others. Click here to learn more.

1. Register to request access to the modules. Your application will be reviewed, and if eligible, access details will be sent by email. Register Today
2. Select your stream to view the relevant module catalogue. The modules are divided into two training streams: Residential Aged Care and Remote Clinical.
3. Open a module to preview it. When you select a module from the catalogue, you can see how it works, preview the content, and ensure it’s right for your team.
4. Download the module for uploading to your LMS. Modules can be downloaded as a ZIP file containing a SCORM package or download the entire catalogue in a single ZIP file.

Register to get started. If you have any questions, need further support, or encounter access issues, please contact us at 07 5612 5438 or email us.

Patient information

When booking a video consultation for a patient, make sure that you:

• Use this checklist to assist you to comply with your privacy obligations when delivering telehealth services.
• Provide patient with video consultation information and fee details, including any out-of-pocket costs.
• Determine MBS telehealth item eligibility.
• Confirm that the patient is able to participate in a video consultation.
• Book a video consultation appointment, following this simple, one-page practice workflow guide.
• Review patient records and reason for appointment.
• Obtain informed privacy and financial consent.
• If interpreting services are needed follow this steps or  visit the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National) website for more details.

Environment

• Ensure you consult from a private location in which your consultations will not be seen, overheard or interrupted. The only people who should be able to hear your conversation are the video consultation participants.
• Ensure you are well-lit – normal room lighting is usually sufficient.
• Avoid sitting directly beneath the light source if possible. Side-lighting works well.
• Be aware of incidental movement behind you. Ensure that you aren’t sitting in front of a window to minimise distraction for participants.

Equipment

• Familiarise yourself with the equipment and software before the consultation.
• Understand what to do if things go wrong, and how to fix basic problems.
• Know who to contact if you can’t resolve any problems that do occur.
• Charge and test your equipment before the call.
• Run a pre-call test or call a colleague to make sure everything works.
• Be mindful of current audio and video settings.

Making the call from a desktop or laptop computer

• Eliminate distractions and noises from your computer and surroundings, such as computer and mobile phone notifications.
• Try to ensure that software updates do not occur during video consultations.
• Only run the software you need to use while in the video call: this increases the resources available to your computer.

Set up the camera in a good position

• Use a professional/neutral backdrop and good lighting.
• Place the camera in a location where the participants stay within camera view.
• Position your web camera so you are looking directly at the patient at eye level, if possible.
• Keep the participants centred in the camera view.

Choose microphone and speakers based on location and environment

• Laptop microphones and speakers are adequate but be aware of echo or feedback during conversations.
• Headsets work well for single-person locations.
• Use a noise-cancelling speakerphone device when multiple people are sharing the same room.
• Position the microphone so that voices are clear and neither too loud nor soft.

Getting started

• Join the video call with your patient in the virtual consultation room.
• Adjust your microphone and camera as required so that everyone can see and hear.
• Introduce everyone attending the consultation.
• Hold the consultation, applying the relevant professional standards, as you would normally.

Etiquette

• Wear appropriate clothing – dress as you would when holding in-person consultations and wear a name tag.
• Wear neutral, muted solid colours where possible. Avoid patterns, stripes, dots, white and red, which can all cause distracting screen effects.

Be mindful of body language and behaviour

• Remember that the other participants can see you – act like they’re in the room with you.
• Avoid raising your voice.

Have alternative contact information available

• Be prepared to contact other participants by phone if something goes wrong with the video consultation.

Focus on the call

• Assure your patient that they have your full attention, showing eye contact, positive body language and attentiveness.
• Do not check your email or phone while in a video call.
• Look at the camera when you talk, not at the screen.

Understand the subtle differences between meeting via video and meeting face-to-face

• There is always a small amount of lag in conversations. Be patient and allow participants time to finish speaking.
• Use the teach-back method to ensure patient understanding.

• When the call ends, ensure all video and audio equipment is switched off.
• Check the patient understands the outcome of the consultation.
• Update the patient record with your consultation notes as soon as possible.
• Organise follow up and supplementary resources, information, education and links required.

 Services Australia:

• Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) and Telehealth
• Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) Item Numbers and Payments
• Telehealth and the Medicare Benefits Schedule

ACRRM (Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine):

• ACRRM Telehealth Resources

Australian Digital Health Agency:

• ADHA Telehealth Resources

Department of Health and Aged Care (DOHAC):

• DOHAC Telehealth Resources

Medical Indemnity Protection Society:

• MIPS Telehealth FAQs

Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA):

• Telehealth guidance for practitioners

Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP):

• Telehealth Guides

University of Queensland Centre for Online Health:

• UQ Telehealth Resources

Allied Health Resources

• QLD Health Telehealth resources for allied health professionals
• Allied Health Professions Australia Telehealth Guide for allied health professionals