About virtual care
Virtual care has many benefits for patients, carers and health professionals.
It improves patient access to services, without leaving their home or community. It is convenient and avoids travel time and costs.
Virtual care includes the use of telephone and video, as well as remote patient monitoring and sharing tests and scans with other healthcare providers.
Virtual care does not replace face-to-face care, instead it aims to complement healthcare delivery.
For virtual appointments by video conferencing participants need to have access to a reliable internet connection, a suitable device and a private area where they can feel comfortable and safe.
There are two main platforms used for virtual care video conferencing across NSW - myVirtualCare and Pexip.
Learn more about virtual care in NSW.
How to use virtual care
Learn more about how to use virtual care.
See the Pexip user guide or user guides for myVirtualCare in various community languages.
See below for more information to help patients and carers, and health professionals, prepare for and make the most of virtual care.
Information for patients and carers
You can always ask if virtual care is an option for you when you need a medical appointment. You can attend these appointments from a place that suits you, including home or at a participating local health service.
If you are offered a virtual care appointment, you can choose to accept or not to accept. If you say no, you will still receive care. You don’t have to agree to virtual care and can change your mind at any time.
There is no cost to you from your local health district. You may be asked to give consent for your healthcare professional to bulk bill Medicare – just like you would for in-person care. Check with your doctor about any additional fees if they are also attending the appointment with you.
If you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment, contact the service that organised your appointment as soon as possible. A contact number for the service will be on the email or information provided to you.
You will need a device that has a camera, speaker and microphone. This could be a laptop, smartphone, tablet/iPad or a PC.
Check your device software is up to date and you have a good internet connection. A successful connection will depend on your browser, your internet speed and the device you are using.
You should test your device before your appointment.
There are no additional costs to use virtual care, only your internet data or phone usage.
As a guide, data usage for a 15 minute video call is approximately 80MB.
Use a supported web browser such as Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox or Safari. You can check what browser you are using.
An upload and download speed of at least 1Mbps is needed. You can check your internet speed.
Information will be provided before your appointment, as an email, text message or on paper. Check the details for the date and time of your appointment.
Your appointment information will also tell you if you will be having a myVirtualCare or Pexip appointment.
On the day of your appointment:
- Find a private and quiet spot
- Check you have a good internet connection
- Test your device to be certain that your audio and visual connection is working properly
- Make sure your device battery is charged
- Check the lighting in the room is good and you can be clearly seen
- Log in to your appointment 5-10 minutes before your appointment time.
If you are having technical issues try the following:
- Check the instructions to make sure you have followed the steps correctly.
- Check your equipment.
- Restart your device.
- If you are using Wi-Fi, turn off other devices that may be also using it.
- Make sure you have enough data.
If you are still experiencing technical issues, contact the clinic that organised your appointment or the telehealth team on 02 4734 4735 during business hours.
Information for health professionals
Virtual care also gives health care professionals better access to specialists and other health care services, and gives them flexibility in how, where and when they offer their services.
Health professionals offering virtual care should follow national standards and guidelines and the process protocols recommended by NSW Health and the Agency of Clinical Innovation (ACI).
Log in to the NSW Health Virtual Care Central hub with your Health staff id and email to keep up to date and find training and support resources.
See the ACI Virtual care page for resources and information.
Health professionals needing technical support can contact the telehealth team on (02) 4734 4735 during business hours.