Prime Medic's Blog
Having A Video Consultation With A Doctor - Changing Australia And The World
Back in 2020 on the 12th of March, the WHO (World Health Organisation) declared the COVID-19 outbreak an official pandemic. On the 12th of March, the total number of deaths due to the Coronavirus was tallied at around 4, 981. Over the next 14 days, the total number of deaths worldwide reported on the 26th of March would increase to around 531, 865.
This gives a good snapshot of just how fast the Coronavirus spread and how it would impact the world. And if it weren’t for increased funding and government attention surrounding telehealth services that allowed Australians to have a video consultation with a doctor as opposed to face-to-face, the outcome could have been much worse.
Helping to reduce the spread of infection
According to an analysis by The Conversation, there have been over 7 million MBS (Medicare Benefits Schedule)-funded telehealth consultations conducted since March 2020. Roughly around 91% of these consultations were conducted over the telephone.
With Australia continuing to cope with the battle for keeping the spread of infection under control, this can be attributed to the rise in the availability of online telehealth services. As more consultations with a GP (General Practitioner) are conducted over video or phone as opposed to in-person, medical clinic waiting rooms are not clogged with patients.
This dramatically reduces the potential risk of infection as more people don’t have to leave their home in order to receive professional healthcare advice and support.
No signs of slowing down
According to the RACGP (Royal Australian College of General Practitioners), a study was conducted by the Centre of Health Systems and Safety Research at Macquarie University in the beginning of 2021. It highlighted that Australians had a video consultation with a doctor more often throughout January to September in 2020 than during the same period the year before.
This is also despite the strict Coronavirus restrictions that were enforced throughout those periods. For many health institutes and organisations, this is a clear indication that not only are telehealth services effective, but they are also not displaying any signs of slowing down.
As the innovation of telemedicine continues to progress, more online health services are emerging on the horizon such as online therapists for mental health issues and virtual midwives to assist with maternity issues.
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More countries embracing telehealth
Apart from Australia, more countries are starting to rapidly adopt telehealth services such as China and India. As India continues to tackle its crucial need for more qualified healthcare professionals, integrating telehealth services will help a great deal in easing the high demand for GP consultations, especially in rural and remote areas.
As telehealth services continue to improve, become more accessible and expand, it highlights just how effective having a video consultation with a doctor is compared to the traditional experience of consulting with a doctor face-to-face.
If you haven’t already, download the Prime Medic app today and experience the healthcare revolution of consulting with an online doctor for general checkups, medical certificates, specialist referrals, prescriptions and more!
