In Australia, most psychiatrists live and work in our capital cities and major regional centres. This means that people who live in smaller regional centres and remote areas often find it difficult to access psychiatric care.
Telepsychiatry offers a possible solution to this problem. It isn't the same as a face-to-face consultation, but many people are pleasantly surprised by just how much can be communicated effectively over a video connection. Some people may even find it less stressful than an in-person meeting!
The consultation can take place in your home - so there’s no travelling time. All you need is a reasonable internet connection and a computer with a camera and a microphone.
Until the pandemic struck, only people living in regional and remote locations in Australia were eligible to use telepsychiatry and to receive Medicare rebates.
The temporary pandemic Medicare items for telepsychiatry for all Australians, wherever they are located, were made permanent as of 1 January 2022.
I use a secure video service called HealthDirect Video Call.
This service works from within Google Chrome on a PC or Mac.
About five minutes before your booked appointment, paste this link into the address bar of Google Chrome or Safari to enter my HealthDirect Video Call waiting room.
https://vcc2.healthdirect.org.au/joeblack