Virtual care is a way to communicate with and be treated by your doctor, nurse or care team, so you don’t need to come into a hospital or clinic. It means you can receive care in your own home or environment and makes healthcare more flexible and accessible where and when you need it. Virtual care can include video calls, phone calls, secure messaging, and remote monitoring.
Many of our services have virtual care options which use secure technology to communicate with you. Virtual care helps to:
- Reduce travel time and costs.
- Allow access to care from wherever you are.
- Give family members or carers opportunities to be involved in your care.
- Provide connection with your care team from wherever you are, even if you can’t see them in person.
Several services at Central Coast Health offer virtual care consults. If you are accessing these services, you can ask our staff if virtual care is a suitable option for you:
- Community health
- Mental health
- Outpatient clinics
- Drug & alcohol
- Allied health
Learn more about Virtual Care in NSW
Agency for Clinical Innovation – Is Virtual Care right for me and my family?
How virtual care works
Some of our services use virtual care and will check whether it’s suitable for you, or you can ask whether virtual care is an option when using one of our many services or speaking with our staff.
If you are offered virtual care, you can choose whether you accept it or not. You will still receive care – even if you say no – and can change your mind at any time. There is no cost to you when accessing virtual care through Central Coast Local Health District. You may be asked to provide consent for your healthcare professional to bulk bill Medicare – just like you would for in-person care.
Virtual care doesn’t always replace seeing our services face-to-face – some appointments may still need to be in person. Virtual appointments are the same as in-person appointments, just delivered via your phone, laptop or tablet. We use a range of platforms including:
- HealthDirect Video Call for video appointments or for when family or carers join an appointment virtually. Services like video interpreters or language assistance are also available via HealthDirect Video Call.
- Telstra’s Virtual Health platform for remote patient monitoring – which provides ongoing checks at home.
- Phone calls on your mobile phone or landline.
Resources
User guide for HealthDirect Video Call
Starting a video call as a patient – HealthDirect Video Call
How to prepare for your appointment
Information on how to prepare for and access your virtual care appointment will be provided by our services at the time of booking.
Once you make a virtual care appointment, there are a few things you can do to prepare:
- You will need a device that has a camera, speaker and microphone – this could be a smartphone, laptop, tablet or PC.
- Check your device software is up to date, you have a good internet connection and your device is charged.
- Find a quiet and private spot and log in 5-10 minutes before your appointment time to ensure everything is working and you can be clearly seen.
- If you don’t have your own device, data or a suitable space for your virtual care appointment, you can speak with your care provider about alternative options.