What is telehealth?
Telehealth uses videoconferencing to connect you with your healthcare provider.
It may be possible to have your appointment from your home.
When you leave hospital, your follow up appointment could be by videoconference.
Ask your health professional if telehealth is suitable for you.
How we use telehealth
We use telehealth for:
- outpatient appointments
- inpatient ward rounds
- at home patient appointments
- transfer of clinical images for specialist advice
- emergency support and advice.
Telehealth emergency support helps rural clinicians and patients. They reduce the need to transfer patients to a major hospital centre.
We also use telehealth to:
- connect long term patients with families and carers
- connect different teams to conduct case reviews
- give training to rural and remote staff.
How telehealth works
A telehealth appointment is like a face-to-face medical appointment. You'll see your health professional on the video screen and hear them through your speakers or headphones. Your health professional will see and hear you.
You can ask a family member, carer or friend to sit in on the telehealth appointment with you.
At home
If you're doing your telehealth call from home you'll need:
- a computer, tablet or smartphone
- internet or Wi-Fi
- a webcam, headset or speakers.
You will be sent a video link for you to click on the day of your appointment.
At a clinic or at your doctor's office
If you're going to a Queensland Health rural facility or at your local doctor's practice, staff will help you with the video conference equipment. A nurse may sit in the room and help you during your video appointment.
Before your appointment starts, the nurse will tell you what to expect during the video call. They may also take your blood pressure, temperature and do other tests.
Your health professional will update your medical records after your appointment.
Technical support
If your appointment is at your home using your device, technical support is available to help you with any problems that may occur.
Find out more about telehealth on the Queensland Health website.