For those who fall ill, just getting out of bed can pose a massive hurdle, let alone getting to a doctor’s appointment.
But now growing online healthcare options means Australians can have prescriptions or medical certificates sent to their inbox within minutes.
They may be convenient, but the rise of these digital platforms has also caused a new crackdown and left experts concerned.
Richard Skimin, the chief operating officer for one of these burgeoning services, InstantScripts, says the site can help with anything from prescription renewals to blood test and specialist referrals.
He says the service is “complementary” to GPs and helps alleviate demands on doctors and emergency rooms.
“While COVID increased the number of people who became familiar with telehealth, the returning and growing number of people using our service shows that there is a need for convenient, affordable digital healthcare services in Australia,” he said.
According to Mr Skimin, more than 1 million Australians have used the platform since its 2018 inception.
Prospective patients can access services such as a doctor consultation or prescription in just a few clicks.
This includes the distribution of medical certificates, where patients are directed to a short questionnaire that is assessed by an Australian-registered doctor — a practice questioned by employers’ groups.
These questions may ask for a patient’s symptoms, and whether they promise to see an in-person doctor if their symptoms do not improve.
“This service is for patients who are too unwell to leave their home or unable to access a doctor on the day of their illness,” Mr Skimin says.
“We have strict guidelines in place for the issuing of medical certificates and we decline 36 per cent of medical certificates requested due to not meeting our eligibility criteria.”
From the 1st of September, the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) Medical Board made it harder to provide healthcare without a real-time consultation.
Patients are no longer allowed to go online to ask a doctor for medical certificates or medicine unless they have already met face-to-face.
In cases where these methods are used, GPs now have to explain why telehealth consultation “was appropriate and necessary in the circumstances”, according to new guidelines.
(ABC)
