How to Transition From Phone to Video Telehealth Consultations

Video transcript:

Speaker 1 – Gillian

With your advice, if some clinics are just using the phone and they’re wanting to transition to video, what would be your suggestions on their best steps? I mean, I understand a lot of them don’t have webcams and microphones and those things, obviously, there’s a hardware and potentially software issue that needs to be resolved, but would you suggest that they pilot with maybe a couple of doctors within the clinic that are really keen to trial video?

Speaker 2: Dr Baird

I think that would be a good way. But, even before they get to that stage, I think it would be to set themselves up for success, rather than setting themselves up for failure. That would be really helpful.

Education. And so access of which there are many resources, and that includes getting access to the college guidelines, the RACGP and ACRRM guidelines. They are consensus-based rather than evidence-based, but there are good strategies.

I mean, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel because it’s all been done before.

So here are the things to think about with setting up video consultations in your practice.

Online courses, fantastic. The modular courses are really helpful for GP’s. I think that’s important.

Getting help from primary health networks, they’re being funded to help support general practises with Telehealth. So, it’s really important to contact the digital health manager at the primary health network to get them on board, to answer specific questions, but also for general support. And they can provide access to HealthDirect video call, which again, is government-funded (I’m not involved), but I use it, I’m not connected with it. I do think it’s a particularly good platform to use, because it fits in so well with general practice workflows, but you could certainly use one of the other business platforms like Zoom, or Skype, or WhatsApp. They could be used. But I think you would find that it’s easier to use HealthDirect video call or one of the other health-related, health-based video platforms.

Hear more from Dr Baird and his unique insights inside the Telehealth Mastery Foundation Activity. An online, self-paced learning activity that teaches you everything about telehealth implementation and sustainability and offers 40 CPD points (with RACGP).

Speakers: Gillian Alexis, RACGP educator and Dr Baird, GP