What is Telehealth?
Telehealth is the secure transmission of a clinical consultation by videoconference over the internet. This is a way for you to have consultations with health professionals without the need and inconvenience of you travelling to hospital.
Your Hunter New England Health clinician can connect to you over the internet whether you are at home, at work, in a residential aged care facility, at your GP or your local community hospital. Telehealth allows you to talk to, hear and see health professionals using high-speed internet, cameras, speakers and monitors at both locations.
Hunter New England Health uses the NSW health clinical telehealth system, myVirtualCare to provide a range of specialist health services to our patients.
Benefits of telehealth
- Less, or no, travel time - conducting your telehealth appointment from home, or a local health facility can significantly reduce travel time to your specialist within Hunter New England
- Save on accommodation expenses - long distances to travel for appointments plus leaving your family or friends can all add pressure when you require an in-person appointment
- A coordinated care approach with your GP or other health providers
- Family/carers involvement - if you live away from family or carers, you can ask to have them included in your telehealth appointment to ensure they are involved in all aspects of your care
- Fewer disruption - less travel means less disruption to family, work and routine
What services does telehealth cover
Some of the inpatient, outpatient, community and home care services currently being provided by HNE Health include:
- Adult and paediatric outpatient services including fracture clinics, neurology, cardiology, endocrinology, diabetes, respiratory, palliative care, oncology, pain, maternity & gynaecology and surgical follow up
- Acute stroke care, rapid retrieval services & neonatal intensive care
- Child and adolescent, adult, and older adult mental health services including clinical consultations, case reviews, clinical supervision and prescriber clinics.
- Cardiac coaching, grief counselling, occupational therapy and speech pathology
- Family connections to those within an in-patient setting
Who is eligible for telehealth
If your healthcare provider feels it clinically appropriate and safe to have your next appointment via telehealth you may be eligible. If you are unsure, you can ask your medical team
How do i book a telehealth appointment
You will need to discuss with your healthcare provider whether a telehealth is appropriate for your next appointment.
If your enquiry is urgent, please contact clinical telehealth support, (02) 4921 3050, Monday - Friday 8am - 5pm
How is my privacy and confidentiality maintained
- Hunter New England uses the NSW health clinical telehealth system, myVirtualcare. It is completely secure, encrypted and confidential
- Your personal information, and the consultation, will be private and confidential
- The consultation will not be recorded unless discussed with your clinician
- The same privacy provisions and legislation relevant to traditional appointments apply to all telehealth appointments
- As with a face-to-face appointment, notes will be taken during the appointment. This will be done by the healthcare providers and will be entered into your medical record, which is also confidential
Where can i learn more?
If you require any more information about telehealth within Hunter New England Local Health District (HNELHD) please contact telehealth on
(02) 4921 3050 or via email HNELHD-ICT-ClinicalTelehealth@health.nsw.gov.au, Monday - Friday 8am - 5pm
What if I prefer face-to-face consultations?
Telehealth can be part of your care plan, but only if you want it to be. You can always choose to see your clinician in person if you prefer. That is your decision