Glossary, front desk
What is telehealth?
Telehealth is healthcare delivered at a distance, most often by video or phone consultation, along with remote follow-up and monitoring. Telemedicine is often used for the clinical consultation itself, and telehealth for the wider service around it.
Updated . Defined by the wai team for clinics, groups and health systems.
Also called telemedicine, video consultation or virtual care.
Why Telehealth matters to a clinic
Video consultations widen who a clinic can see, from patients across a city to patients abroad, and fill gaps in the diary that an in-person visit could not. They also suit follow-ups, results and reviews that do not need an examination.
The record still has to be complete. A video consultation needs the same note, consent, letters and follow-up as one in the room, and the clinician's licence still has to cover where the patient is.
Questions
Is telehealth the same as telemedicine?
They overlap. Telemedicine usually means the clinical consultation at a distance. Telehealth is the broader service, including follow-up and remote monitoring.
Does the patient need to consent to recording?
If the consultation is recorded or transcribed, yes. The clinic records that consent on the patient's record. See consent management.
See wai on your own clinic.
A 15 minute video call on your own diary, notes and inbox. Prices for clinics, groups and hospitals are on the pricing page.