How do video and phone consultations work?

How do video and phone telehealth consultations work?

Abby Health offers two consultation formats: video and phone. For video, you join through the app at your scheduled time and enter a virtual waiting room. For phone consultations, your clinician calls you directly from 0483 957 072. Both are clinically valid, and your full history is available to your clinician before the call begins.

How does a video consultation work?

Video consultations take place directly through the Abby Health app or web portal. When your appointment time approaches, a Join Video Call button appears in your Appointments tab — typically around 5 minutes before your start time.

Once you tap it, you enter a virtual waiting room. Your clinician joins when they are ready. The consultation itself works much like an in-person visit: your clinician will ask about your symptoms, review your history, and discuss next steps. At the end, any prescriptions, referrals, or certificates will be sent to you electronically.

Video consultations work on most modern smartphones, tablets, and computers. For the full list of supported devices and browsers, see what devices and browsers work for telehealth calls.

How does a phone consultation work?

Phone consultations require no app interaction at the time of your appointment. Your clinician will call you directly at your scheduled time from 0483 957 072. Save this number so you recognise the call.

Before your phone consultation:

• Check your phone is not on silent or in Do Not Disturb mode.
• Confirm your phone number is up to date in your account settings.
• Make sure call forwarding is disabled unless you specifically want the call to redirect.

Phone consultations are fully appropriate for a wide range of concerns — repeat prescriptions, referrals, mental health check-ins, and more. For guidance on when phone is the right format, see how phone consultations work and when they are appropriate.

What does Abby AI do before my consultation?

Before every consultation — video or phone — Abby AI, our medical decision-support tool, reviews your health history, current symptoms, and any relevant risk signals. This information is presented to your clinician so they begin the consultation already informed. You are not starting from scratch every time.

Abby AI never diagnoses or prescribes. It supports your clinician by surfacing what is relevant. Your clinician makes all clinical decisions. The 0.03% AI note disapproval rate reflects how well this system works in practice (Abby Health internal data, Q1 2026).

What happens after my consultation?

Once your consultation ends, your clinician will action any next steps — typically within a short time after the call. This may include:

• An electronic prescription sent to your nominated pharmacy or via SMS
• A referral letter to a specialist or allied health provider
• A medical certificate emailed to you directly
• Pathology or imaging request forms

Your consultation notes are saved to your Abby Health record, so future clinicians can access the full picture. This is central to how Abby supports continuity of care.

Which format is right for me — video or phone?

Both formats are clinically sound. Video is generally preferred when a visual assessment adds value — for skin concerns, eye symptoms, wound checks, or when your clinician needs to see how you are presenting. Phone is well-suited to simpler consultations: repeat prescriptions, referral requests, results discussions, and follow-ups.

For a fuller comparison, see telehealth vs in-person: when to choose each. If you are ever uncertain whether telehealth is appropriate for your concern, our clinicians will tell you honestly if an in-person visit is needed.

If your symptoms are severe or worsening at any time, call 000 or go to the nearest emergency department. For non-urgent advice between consultations, Healthdirect runs a 24-hour nurse helpline. Both video and phone consultations are recognised under MBS Online, the official Medicare Benefits Schedule, where eligibility is met.

How Abby can help

Abby Health is an online-first clinic making long-term, continuous GP care accessible for every Australian, 7 days a week. Our 71% rebook rate reflects that patients keep coming back to the same clinicians (Abby Health internal data, Q1 2026) — because that continuity matters. Abby appointments are bulk billed for eligible patients with a valid Medicare card. Start your consultation at abbyhealth.app.