When telehealth is right for you: and when to see someone in person

Telehealth is well suited to routine consultations, prescription reviews, mental health care plans, pathology and imaging referrals, medical certificates, and ongoing care for stable chronic conditions. It is not suitable for medical emergencies, serious injuries, or any situation requiring a physical examination. If you are in crisis or have a life-threatening symptom, call 000 or go to your nearest emergency department.

What telehealth is for

Australian telehealth has been a reimbursed part of the Medicare system since 2011, expanded dramatically during the pandemic, and consolidated in its current form from 2022 onwards. When it is the right fit, telehealth removes friction — no commute, no waiting room, no taking the afternoon off work. The question is when is it the right fit. The honest answer is: for a wide range of care, but not all of it.

What telehealth is good at

A lot of primary care does not need a physical examination. A Specialist GP can talk with you, review your history, look at a photo or pathology report you share, and make a clinical decision without being in the same room. This is where telehealth works well.

Routine consultations. Coughs, colds, urinary symptoms, rashes, minor infections, reproductive health questions, contraception reviews, and a long list of everyday concerns.

Prescription reviews and repeats. If your condition is stable and your doctor already understands your care plan, a repeat prescription through telehealth is often the most efficient way to keep your treatment going.

Mental Health Care Plans and reviews. Mental Health Care Plans are explicitly supported by Medicare telehealth rules, including plan creation, reviews, and referrals to psychologists under Better Access.

Pathology and imaging referrals. A clinician can order a blood test, a scan, or a swab online and have the request ready at your nearest pathology collection centre or imaging provider.

Medical certificates. Same-day certificates for work, school, and carers' leave are one of the most common reasons people book telehealth.

Ongoing care for stable chronic conditions. Blood pressure management, diabetes review, thyroid monitoring, asthma management. Patients often do better with more frequent, lower-friction check-ins than with fewer long in-person visits.

Sexual and reproductive health. STI screening, contraception advice, and follow-up on results are well suited to the privacy of a telehealth consultation.

What telehealth is not for

Telehealth is a delivery method. It does not replace the parts of medicine that need hands on a patient. There are situations where even a very experienced Specialist GP on the other end of a video call is not the right answer.

Medical emergencies. Severe chest pain, stroke symptoms, serious breathing difficulty, significant bleeding, head injuries, collapse. Call 000 or go to an emergency department. These are not telehealth problems.

Acute abdominal pain. Pain that is severe, rapidly worsening, or associated with fever or vomiting usually needs a physical examination.

Suspected fractures or serious injuries. You need imaging and an examination, not a video call.

Serious mental health presentations. If you are in crisis, having thoughts of self-harm, or your symptoms are escalating quickly, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or the Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467, or go to your nearest emergency department. See our guide on what to do if you're in crisis.

Presentations that need a physical exam. Unexplained lumps, neurological symptoms, significant abdominal findings, and anything where a doctor's hands would help make the diagnosis.

Conditions excluded from online prescribing. Certain medications cannot be prescribed safely or legally through a first-time online consultation. Our guide on what Abby can and can't prescribe online safely covers this.

What happens if a telehealth clinician decides you need to be seen in person

Part of a Specialist GP's job is recognising when a symptom is outside what telehealth can safely assess. If that happens during an Abby consultation, your clinician will say so and explain the next step — whether that's a referral to a local practice, an imaging request, a specialist referral, or a trip to emergency. No consultation charge is lost on the Medicare rebate for a decision that keeps you safe, and you will not be bulk billed for being told to go to hospital.

How Abby helps you decide before you book

The Abby booking flow asks a short set of questions about your reason for visit. If your answers suggest emergency care is more appropriate, the app will say so, and point you towards 000 or your nearest emergency department. We would rather lose a booking than take one we should have deflected.

If you're not sure

If you aren't sure whether telehealth is the right call, you can contact Abby Support before you book, or call Healthdirect on 1800 022 222 — a free, 24/7 Australian health advice line staffed by registered nurses.

Find Comfort. Abby Health. Care that understands you.