Paediatrics online consultation

It’s hard to know what to do when your baby, toddler, child or teenager is sick and you are not sure whether to go to your GP or the hospital emergency department. Accessing paediatric care online for specialist advice is now much simpler, thanks to DOCTO online hospital and our paediatrics online consultation.

Our paediatric doctors are available online to provide urgent or non-urgent professional and qualified healthcare advice for your children.

What is a paediatrician?

A paediatrician is a doctor who has completed an additional six years of study, training and examinations after they completed their medical degree.

Paediatricians provide specialist medical care to babies, children and teenagers (usually up to 16-18 years of age).

There are general paediatricians as well as those that specialise in particular areas, such as paediatric neurologists, paediatric gastroenterologists, paediatric cardiologists and developmental paediatricians.

Some paediatricians work privately, and others work in the public hospital system. DOCTO’s Australian paediatric specialists are currently working at the country’s top children’s hospitals.

When should I consult a paediatrician?

You should consult a paediatrician if your child is presenting with new or acute symptoms of illness. DOCTO’s same day telehealth consultation service is specifically for children with acute illnesses or injuries.

These acute illness or injuries include:

• Fever, cough, croup, ear ache or rash.
• Tummy ache, vomiting, diarrhoea, dehydration, ear discharge.
• Urine infection, tonsillitis, headaches, chest infection, off their food.

You can also book an online non-urgent paediatric appointment for a later time.

What to look out for when your child is sick?

Childhood symptoms of illness can be many and varied.

Common things to look out for can include:

• Fever. You can tell if your child has a fever by checking their temperature with a thermometer, feeling for warmth, or listening for rapid breathing. You may also notice that your child’s skin feels warm and dry to touch.
• Decreased activity level, loss of appetite, vomiting or diarrhoea, particularly in younger children.
• Pain, whether generalised or specific, particularly for older children.
• Trouble sleeping, or a change in sleeping patterns.

Children under two years of age who get fevers often don’t show other symptoms until later in the illness so it’s important to talk to a doctor early, as soon as you notice something different is going on with your child.

Where can I find a paediatrics online consultation?

DOCTO brings a large network of paediatricians to you via our telehealth platform, acting as a doorbell to specialist paediatric care, no matter where you live. Our consultations with online paediatricians are made by appointment, and conducted via video.

Can I consult a paediatrician online?

You certainly can! DOCTO provides an urgent care paediatrics telehealth service. Our paediatric specialists are currently working at Australia’s top children’s hospitals.

Our telehealth consultations provide families all around Australia with expert medical advice for their kids from the comfort and security of their own homes. Our video consultation platform is easy-to-use and family friendly. We have been helping children and parents with online medical care since 2014.

How does a paediatrics online consultation work?

An online consultation works differently from when you visit your doctor in-person. With an online consultation, the doctor cannot carry out a physical examination of their patient or give any injections if needed.

DOCTO’s paediatricians can diagnose and treat conditions that affect infants, children and teenagers up to the age of 18. Our paediatricians also specialise in behavioural, mental and physical conditions to ensure good growth and development.

For urgent care, you will be able to consult with an online paediatrician within hours.

For non-urgent matters, you will be able to book an online appointment and see a paediatrician within seven days via video chat on your smartphone, tablet, laptop or desktop computer.

Our online consultations are a simple, six step process. To book an appointment:

1. Enter your details and the details of your child into the form (or log in if you already have an account).
2. Our duty team of paediatric specialists will review your request and send telehealth appointments.
3. You accept the appointment and pay the fee. A link is sent to join your consultation.
4. A paediatrician will assess how well your child looks through a child-friendly video call.
5. After the consultation, your specialist may send you a prescription or a referral for pathology or radiology tests.
6. After your consultation and specialist’s assessment, we send a letter to your GP.

At DOCTO, your child’s health is our primary concern. Telehealth is sometimes not enough. If your child is unwell and can’t be adequately assessed and treated on the video call, an in-person appointment may be required.

If an in-person, face-to-face appointment is thought to be necessary, we will provide a referral to a local paediatrician or emergency hospital department.

Tell me the conditions a paediatrician treats?

Paediatricians treat a wide range of illnesses, injuries and conditions. Paediatricians often examine and treat babies immediately after birth, to assess newborn health and if necessary, resuscitate newborns. They also manage treatment of premature babies.

Paediatricians are involved in the treatment and management of babies, children and teenagers with:

• Development delays and behavioural issues.
• Chronic diseases such as diabetes, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
• Infectious diseases such as meningitis.
• Cancer.
• Genetic disorders such as cystic fibrosis.
• Physical disabilities such as cerebral palsy.
• Asthma and allergies.
• Autism spectrum disorder.

Paediatricians can practice generally or further specialise in a specific area (just like adult physicians and medical specialists).

For example, paediatric neurology is a specialised area within both paediatrics and neurology. Specialists manage conditions such as childhood:

• Epilepsy.
• Migraine.
• Cerebral palsy.
• Muscular dystrophy.
• Genetics.
• Brain tumours.
• Developmental and behavioural disorders.

Frequently asked questions about online paediatrics consultation.

What can an online paediatrician treat?

An online paediatrician can treat the same range of childhood illness and injuries that an in-person paediatrician can treat.

However, sometimes telehealth is not enough, depending on your child’s particular issue. If your child is unwell and can’t be adequately assessed and treated via video consultation, an in-person appointment may be required.

If an in-person appointment is thought to be necessary, DOCTO will provide a referral to a local paediatrician or emergency department.

What does a Paediatrician do?

Paediatricians treat a wide range of illnesses, injuries and conditions, starting with examining and treating babies immediately after birth.

Paediatricians can be general or further specialised, and are involved in the treatment and management of babies, children and teenagers with:

• Development delays and behavioural issues.
• Chronic diseases such as diabetes, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colisits.
• Infectious diseases such as meningitis.
• Cancer.
• Genetic disorders such as cystic fibrosis.
• Physical disabilities such as cerebral palsy.
• Asthma and allergies.
• Autism spectrum disorder.

Do I need a referral to have a paediatrics online consultation?

DOCTO recommends patients get a referral from their own GP wherever possible, to ensure good follow-up care. This is not essential however, as DOCTO can provide referrals as needed.

Our referral service is provided through DOCTO’s 24/7 virtual Emergency Department. This is an important after-hours service, or for people in regional and rural areas who may not have easy or quick assess to a doctor.

How do I make a paediatrics online consultation?

Where possible DOCTO will provide a same day appointments for babies, toddlers and children of any ages with common conditions and acute illnesses such as fever, rash, cough, sore ears and throats. E-prescriptions, pathology and radiology referrals are provided where required.

To book an appointment with a DOCTO paediatrician, there is a simple, six-step process to follow:

1. Enter your details and the details of your child into the form (or log in if you already have an account).
2. Our duty team of paediatric specialists will review your request and send telehealth appointments.
3. You accept the appointment and pay the fee. A link is sent to join your consultation.
4. A paediatrician will assess how well your child looks through a child-friendly video call.
5. After the consultation, your specialist may send you a prescription or a referral for pathology or radiology tests.
6. After your consultation and specialist’s assessment, we send a letter to your GP.

What should I bring to the appointment?

You bring yourself and your unwell child to the appointment. Having an extra family member present is always helpful too, as caring for an unwell child can be stressful.

You should have your Medicare card handy, and any relevant medical information, such as any previous pathology or radiology reports, or letters from your GP or medical specialist.

For a video consultation, you need internet access with at least 1 MPS upload and download speeds. A computer running a modern browser with a webcam and microphone is best – however, you can also use a smartphone, tablet or laptop. No special software or downloads are needed.

What happens if my child needs medication?

If your paediatric doctor prescribes a particular medication or medicines and you are in Australia, we can send you an electronic prescription by SMS for you to use at any pharmacy.

DOCTO can also send your child’s prescription directly to your pharmacy of choice, if you provide your pharmacy details during the booking process or email team@docto.com.

What if my child needs blood tests or x-rays?

Depending on where you are located, DOCTO can send referrals for pathology or radiology services electronically.

How is my privacy protected?

At DOCTO we take your privacy very seriously. Because of the medical nature of our work, we need to collect personal identifiers, including:

• Your full name, date of birth and gender.
• Telephone number, email and residential address.
• Contact details for your next of kin (particularly for minors under the age of 18).

We also need to collect medical information such as:

• Details of your current illness.
• Past medical history.
• Any current medicines or medications that you take.
• Whether you have any allergies.
• Details of your usual doctor or doctors.

We do not collect any government identifiers, such as your Medicare number.

Our strict internal website security measures restrict access to your personal information, beyond the doctor or doctors who are involved in your care, as well as any members of our administrative staff (where this is an essential part of their role).

Further details about our privacy policy and how your privacy is protected can be found here. You can also email our Privacy Registrar at privacy@docto.com.

Find out more at docto.com.au and book a paediatrics online consultation today!

BY PHOEBE

JUNE 7, 2022

This blog is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please consult a licensed healthcare provider for diagnosis and treatment.