A telehealth consultation is a health appointment held live by video or phone. It deserves the same care as a visit to a clinic. This guide explains how to prepare for a telehealth consultation in Australia, from the notes you write to the room you sit in.

Most of the preparation takes about 20 minutes. The day before is a good time to do it.

How do you prepare for a telehealth consultation?

Prepare 4 things the day before. Write a short note on why you are booking. List every medicine and supplement you take. Write your questions, with the most important first. Then test your device and choose a quiet, private room. The consultation itself is then free for the conversation with your practitioner.

Each step follows below, with a checklist near the end.

What health details should you have ready?

Have your health history, your current medicines and any recent results written down before you join. Your practitioner needs your background before giving advice that suits you. Details slip away in the moment, so a single written page helps. You can read from it during the call, or share it if the clinic asks.

Your page can cover:

  • Current conditions. Anything you have been diagnosed with, and roughly when.
  • Past conditions and operations. Hospital stays too, with approximate dates if you know them.
  • Allergies. Medicines, foods and anything else, with the reaction you had.
  • Everything you take. Prescribed medicines, over-the-counter products, vitamins and supplements, with the dose and how often. Keep the packs nearby so you can spell each name.
  • Family history. Conditions in your parents, brothers or sisters, where you know them.
  • Your other health professionals. Your usual GP and anyone else you see, with their contact details.

healthdirect is the government-funded health information service. Its advice on medicines is plain: “It’s a good idea to take a written list of all medicines with you to your appointments.” On a video call, your list is the bottle you cannot hand across the desk.

Keep any blood tests, scans or letters from the past year close by. If you use My Health Record, some of this may already be stored there. healthdirect notes that your record “can only be seen by you, your healthcare providers and any people you choose to share it with.”

How do you describe the reason for your visit?

Write 3 or 4 sentences on what brings you to the consultation. Note when you first noticed it and whether it comes and goes. Add what makes it better or worse, and how it affects your sleep, work or mood. Include anything you have already tried. A clear note gives the opening minutes a calm start.

These may be the most useful 5 minutes of your preparation. Conversations often circle the issue at first, and a written summary lets you open with it. Describe what you have noticed. The diagnosis is your practitioner’s work.

What questions should you ask at a telehealth consultation?

Write your questions before the consultation and put the most important one first. Questions are easy to lose once the conversation starts. healthdirect suggests you “write your questions down and take them with you.” Its free Question Builder helps you put a list together for your appointment.

Questions you can adapt:

  • What do you think is going on, and what else could it be?
  • Do I need any tests, and what will each one tell us?
  • What are my options, including waiting for now?
  • What are the possible benefits, risks and side effects of each option?
  • Is telehealth suitable for this, or would an in-person visit help?
  • What should I watch for, and when should I get in touch sooner?
  • When will we talk again?

Keep your list in view during the call and tick off each answer. Take notes, or ask for the key points in writing. If something is unclear, say so, and your practitioner can explain it another way. Before the call ends, repeat the plan in your own words and confirm the next step. healthdirect also suggests you can ask “a friend or relative to come to your appointments to help you remember the information.” If someone joins you, tell your practitioner at the start.

How should you set up your device for telehealth?

Use a charged laptop, tablet or phone with a working camera and microphone, on a stable internet connection. healthdirect lists both as needs for a video appointment. Open the consultation link the day before to check it works. Allow access to your camera and microphone, and install any pending updates so they do not start mid-call.

Choose video where you can. The Medical Board of Australia’s telehealth guidelines state that “when practical, video consultations are preferable to telephone consultations.” Video lets your practitioner see you, and it lets you read their face in return.

A few details lift the picture and sound:

  • Stability. A steady connection matters more than a fast one. If your wifi is patchy, sit close to the router.
  • Light. Face a window or lamp so your face is lit from the front.
  • Height. Rest the device on a table or a stack of books at eye level. A handheld device makes the picture shake.
  • Sound. Earphones with a built-in microphone cut echo and background noise.

Ten minutes before, close other apps and browser tabs and silence notifications. Then join a few minutes early.

How do you keep a telehealth consultation private?

Choose a room with a closed door where nobody can overhear you, and use your own device. You will talk about health details you may keep from home or work. healthdirect advises that you let your practitioner know “if you’re not in a private space or others can overhear you.” Your practitioner can then pace the conversation, or arrange a better time.

Privacy at home takes a little planning:

  • Pick the room early. A bedroom or a parked car works well when the house is full.
  • Use earphones. Only you will hear your practitioner’s side of the call.
  • Use your own device. A shared family tablet or a work laptop may keep history, saved logins or monitoring software.
  • Use a secure connection. Home wifi or your mobile data is a better choice than public wifi in a café or library.
  • Close the screen afterwards. Log out of any patient portal and close the consultation tab when you finish.

If you use My Health Record, you decide who sees it. healthdirect explains that you can set a record access code and check your access history at any time.

What happens if the call drops?

If the video freezes or drops, rejoin with the same link. If that fails, your practitioner will usually phone you to continue or to set a new time. Keep your current mobile number on file with the clinic for this reason. Check it when you book, and keep your phone charged and close by.

Partway through, your practitioner may decide an in-person visit would serve you better. That is part of good care, and they will explain the next step.

Telehealth is for planned care. In a medical emergency, call 000 or go to your nearest emergency department.

Your telehealth consultation checklist

Copy this list into your notes, or print it, and tick it off the day before.

  • 3 or 4 sentences on why you are booking
  • Your health history on a single page
  • A list of every medicine and supplement you take, with doses
  • Recent test results or letters, kept nearby
  • Your questions, the most important first
  • A charged device, a tested link and a stable connection
  • A private, quiet and well-lit room with the door closed
  • Earphones, a pen and a glass of water
  • Your Medicare card or photo ID, and your current mobile number
  • The consultation fee, checked when you book

Preparing for your consultation with Betterwell

Betterwell is a telehealth clinic, and every goal begins with a live consultation by video. You start with a short assessment, which your practitioner reads before you meet. If deemed medically appropriate, you agree a care plan together. Advice, monitoring, a referral or no treatment are also possible outcomes. Your practitioner then checks in with you live every month, and at each check-in the next step is yours.

The notes you make from this guide are the notes your practitioner will ask about. For a walk through the call itself, read what to expect from your first telehealth consultation. You can also see how telehealth consultations work at Betterwell.

When your notes are ready, begin with a few questions. Start my health assessment.

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