Practical health guide
When telehealth may not be suitable
Telehealth can be useful for many non-emergency concerns, but it cannot replace every examination, bedside test, procedure or urgent intervention.
Call 000 for a life-threatening emergency
Do not book or wait for telehealth if someone has severe breathing difficulty, chest pain, signs of stroke, collapse, severe bleeding, a severe allergic reaction or another condition that appears life-threatening. Call Triple Zero (000).
An online form or future appointment cannot assess or treat an emergency. If it is safe to do so, follow the emergency call-taker’s instructions while help is arranged.
Some concerns need hands-on examination
A clinician may need to examine the abdomen, ears, eyes, throat, joints, circulation, nervous system or another body area. Vital signs, palpation, dermoscopy or bedside tests may materially change the assessment.
Telehealth can still help clarify symptoms and the appropriate destination, but the safe outcome may be an in-person appointment rather than a diagnosis or treatment online.
Testing or procedures may be time-sensitive
Some presentations require prompt pathology, imaging, wound care, injections, drainage, splinting or another procedure. A referral alone may not be enough if immediate examination or treatment is needed.
Tell the doctor about rapid deterioration, significant pain, dehydration, recent surgery, pregnancy, immune suppression, anticoagulants or other factors that may lower the threshold for in-person care.
Video and photographs also have limits
Image quality, lighting and camera angle can hide important findings. A photograph cannot show temperature, tenderness, depth, circulation, sensation or how a lesion feels on examination.
If the doctor cannot obtain enough reliable information, they may recommend examination even when the problem initially seemed suitable for telehealth.
If you are unsure where to go
For urgent but non-life-threatening advice, call 1800MEDICARE on 1800 633 422. A registered nurse can help identify an appropriate service. Medicare Urgent Care Clinics and state virtual care services may also be options depending on location and eligibility.
Seek earlier care if symptoms worsen while you are waiting. Do not rely on a booking confirmation as reassurance that telehealth will be sufficient.
Dr Dong Zhao
A doctor’s perspective
The safest outcome of a telehealth appointment is sometimes a prompt recommendation for examination, vital signs, testing or emergency care. That escalation is a clinical decision made to avoid false reassurance when remote information is not enough.
Common questions
Does an in-person recommendation mean telehealth failed?
No. Recognising when examination or urgent care is needed is an important clinical outcome.
Can I book telehealth while waiting for emergency care?
Do not delay emergency assessment. Follow advice from 000 or the treating emergency service.
Can every skin problem be assessed from a photo?
No. Some findings need palpation, dermoscopy, testing or biopsy and cannot be assessed reliably through photographs alone.
Clinical review
Reviewed by Dr Dong Zhao
Australian-registered Medical Doctor · Content reviewed 7 October 2026
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