Feeling unwell is hard enough without having to worry about how you will get to a doctor. For many South Africans, seeing a doctor means taking time off work and waiting for hours in a crowded clinic or hospital while feeling at their worst. When it is your child who is sick in the middle of the night, that worry can feel even heavier, because the nearest clinic is often closed and morning feels very far away.
Telehealth was created to ease that burden. It allows you to speak to a qualified healthcare professional from wherever you are, at any time of the day or night. If you have never used it before, it is completely normal to feel unsure, so we want to walk you through how it works and what you can expect from your first virtual consultation.
What Telehealth means
Telehealth simply means receiving healthcare without having to visit a clinic in person. At Telehealth, you get virtual consultations across medical disciplines, so all you need is your cellphone and a few quiet minutes.
Medical Society members have unlimited, managed telephonic consultations with a network health professional. The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, anywhere in the country. This means help is there for you at midnight in the same way it would be at midday.
Is a phone call really enough?
Many people worry that speaking to a healthcare professional over the phone could never be as thorough as sitting across from a nurse or doctor in a consulting room. We understand that feeling, and it is an important question to ask when it comes to your health and the health of the people you love.
Telehealth is a recognised way of caring for patients in South Africa. The Health Professions Council of South Africa has ethical guidelines that allow registered practitioners to manage patients remotely, including by telephone, and the same professional rules apply as they would in a consultation room. A guide published in the South African Family Practice journal also notes that research has shown remote consultations in South Africa to be workable, safe and effective.
How to book your consultation
Booking a consultation is quick and simple. You can use the Medical Society app, which members can download from Google Play, the Apple App Store or Huawei AppGallery. You can also call 0861 11 10 58 or the toll-free number, 0800 11 11 35.
If you are low on airtime, you can send a Please Call Me or a WhatsApp message and someone will call you back. Between 8am and 5pm on weekdays, the number to use is 061 256 5866, and between 5pm and 8am, the number to use is 072 528 7971.
What happens during the call
Your healthcare practitioner will speak to you in the same way they would if you were sitting in front of them. They will ask how you are feeling, when your symptoms started and whether anything makes them better or worse. They will also want to know if you are taking any medication, if you have any allergies and if you live with any ongoing health conditions.
It helps to answer as openly and honestly as you can, because every detail gives the practitioner a clearer picture of what your body is going through. Please take your time and never feel silly for asking a question. Your practitioner is there to listen to you and to help you feel better.
How to prepare for your call
A little preparation can help your consultation go smoothly. Try to find a quiet spot where you can hear clearly and speak freely. Keep the names of any medication you are taking close by or simply have the boxes in front of you.
It also helps to write down your symptoms and any questions you have before the call. When you are feeling unwell or anxious, it is easy to forget something important, and having it written down means nothing gets left out. Keep a pen and paper nearby so that you can note down the advice you receive.
What your practitioner can help with
Depending on what you need, a Telehealth practitioner can assess and help manage a range of conditions, write a prescription, refer you to a doctor or a hospital, or write a motivation for a procedure.
If you live with a chronic condition such as high blood pressure or diabetes, the nurses and doctors can help with ongoing management and write a script for your chronic medication. Please keep in mind that the cost of the medication itself remains your responsibility.
Support for your mind as well
Telehealth is not only there for physical illness. Sometimes the thing keeping you awake at night is a heavy heart, a mind that will not slow down or a sadness that has lingered for weeks.
Medical Society members can also speak to a mental health professional over the phone. Many people find it easier to open up when they are somewhere they feel safe, and that first conversation can be the beginning of feeling like yourself again. Nobody should have to go through those feelings alone.
When you need to be seen in person
Not every health concern can be handled over the phone, and a good practitioner will always tell you honestly when you need to be seen face-to-face. If that happens, Medical Society has medical centres across the country that welcome people who walk in. There are also Medical Society Lite Centres that offer telehealth consultations on site for people living in remote areas.
Why so many families choose Telehealth
There are so many everyday reasons families choose telehealth. It saves money on transport and consultation fees, and it spares you hours in a waiting room when you are already feeling unwell. It also means a working parent no longer has to choose between taking a day off and caring for a sick child. Most of all, it gives you the comfort of knowing that help is close by when you and your family need it most.
