Its not uncommon during busy phases of our lives to allow our health to fall by the wayside. Sometimes, we’re all a little guilty of neglecting our own health – especially if we’re putting the needs of others before our own. Somewhere between the chaos of keeping up with work, social commitments and looking after children or aging parents, it’s important to prioritise our own health and wellbeing, to ensure we’re our best selves for years to come. Instant Consult is making it easier than ever for Australians to put their health first thanks to their online doctor service which offers convenience and efficiency, seven days a week! Here’s how Instant Consult can help you prioritise your health, on your path to wellness.
What is Instant Consult?
Operating since 2018, Instant Consult has Australian registered, fully qualified and experienced doctors available for online health consultations. They aim to offer this service seven days a week between the hours of 6AM to midnight. No matter where you are located in Australia, their video calls provide a platform for affordable and effective health consultations to supplement the traditional health care system.
How does it work?
To use Instant Consult’s online doctor service, patients simply download the Instant Consult App, sign up for an account, then click on “Request a Consult” and the first available doctor will connect with them instantly. Patients can view if doctors are online and the current average wait time on the homepage once they have logged in.
Patients must be within Australia and be 17 years or over to use the Instant Consult Service. If you are under the age of 17, you can only access and use the service in the presence of, and with the consent of, a parent or guardian.
What services are available through Instant Consult?
Online prescriptions
When clinically appropriate, their doctors can issue online prescriptions and repeat prescriptions thanks to ePrescriptions having rolled out across Australia. A token will be sent direct to your email or mobile for you to present at any pharmacy.
If you are ineligible to receive an ePrescription token, a traditional prescription can be sent directly to your local pharmacy for immediate collection – to use this service you must select one of the approved pharmacies from Instant Consult’s Pharmacy Directory.
Alternatively, if you are ineligible to receive an ePrescription token and choose to not have a traditional prescription collected from any of our approved pharmacies, then the prescription can be posted to you. Please check Instant Consult’s FAQs for a list of medications that cannot be issued via their platform.
Online medical certificates
One of their doctors can issue you with an online medical certificate when clinically appropriate. These medical certificates are predominately used for workplace or university personal leave and will be available in your Instant Consult Inbox immediately following your consultation. It can then be saved to your device or forwarded to an email address, which is where you can forward this onto relevant personnel (place of work, school etc.)
The medical certificate will remain in your Instant Consult Inbox until you choose to delete it.
Doctors do not backdate Medical Certificates and will rarely issue a medical certificate covering more than 3 days. The details issued on the Medical Certificate is up to the doctor and what they deem suitable during consultation.
Some certificates are only available after an in-person visit to a GP, so please check their website for more information.
Specialist referrals, pathology & radiology requests
An online doctor can issue you with a specialist referral, pathology or blood test request, or radiology and X-Ray request, when clinically appropriate. Specialist referrals enable patients who have a valid Medicare card to receive a Medicare rebate on their specialist appointment. Pathology and radiology requests entitle you to tests which may be bulk-billed by Medicare.
The referral will be available in your Instant Consult Inbox immediately following your consultation, which can be saved to your device, forwarded to an email address or printed and taken to your preferred specialist, pathology or imaging centre. The referral or request will remain in your Instant Consult Inbox until you choose to delete it.
Results for pathology and imaging are sent directly back to Instant Consult, where they will notify you when to request an appointment to discuss the results with the first available doctor. Alternatively, during your initial consult you can request for your results to be sent to your usual family practice where you can discuss your results with your regular GP.
General medical advice
All of Instant Consult’s online doctors are fully qualified and are registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), as required by the Medical Board of Australia.
Instant Consult practises to the standards developed by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) and the Australian College of Rural & Remote Medicine (ACRRM) for medical services. Suitable medical conditions can be effectively managed online via video call.
How will this help me on my path to wellness?
Instant Consult’s online services offer utmost convenience, allowing you to prioritise your health with ease. If you are feeling too unwell to leave home, you can easily be connected with a doctor from the comfort of your bed our couch. Alternatively, you may choose to do the consult on a lunch break, meaning there’s no need for you to leave work early or sit in traffic to get to the GP in person. Instant Consult’s after-hours availability allows you to chat to a doctor until midnight, which is well after many GP practices have already closed. By making it much easier for you to speak with a doctor (including on weekends), you’re more likely to follow through and prioritise your health needs, rather than allowing time to pass by. This could lead to better outcomes for yourself and your overall wellbeing.
