TeleConsult is a new approach to telehealth for doctors and their patients.
Many consultations between a patient and their own doctor can be conducted just as effectively over the phone and some patients prefer this.
TeleConsult does not replace face-to-face (F2F) consultations but provides an alternative means for doctors to communicate with their patients while maintaining the doctor’s private phone number and allowing documentation of the consultation. Many patients are time-poor – conducting a consultation using TeleConsult avoids the need to take time off from work or away from other activities, to travel and to sit in waiting rooms.
When a patient has previously seen a doctor and a follow-up does not need to take place F2F TeleConsult is ideal for discussing test results, to provide/renew a prescription, to speak with a relative or carer, to triage a new medical problem or to follow-up any previous F2F consultation.
Patients and doctors can share files, photographs and notes. Each consultation is recorded and can be heard again by doctor or patient and the recording can be saved to the medical file. Immediately after the consultation doctors can dictate notes, letters and referrals.
Patients and doctors each have a dashboard in the app allowing them to manage pending TeleConsults and to review any previous ones. Patients can ‘Favourite’ their doctors making future consults easier. Doctors can provide information about themselves and their availability in the TeleConsult app. Some doctors may be available outside usual practice hours.
Each doctor chooses their own fee to be available on TeleConsult. This is a per minute fee (with a minimum) which is shown clearly in the app before any TeleConsult takes place. At present the cost of any TeleConsult is not covered by government health departments or private funds. The cost of a TeleConsult may well be less than the costs – time and money – involved in attending at the medical practice.
TeleConsult enhances the existing doctor-patient relationship providing increased efficiency and remuneration. It empowers patients and allows them to seek advice from their own doctor without the need to attend the practice for a face-to-face appointment.