Our Service manages telephone calls, telephone messages and electronic messages from our patients.
Our Service endeavours to provide patients with access to timely advice or information about their clinical care via telephone. The urgency of a patient’s needs is determined promptly. We aim to communicate effectively over the telephone by using simple, straight forward language and check that the patient has understood.
Electronic communication provides a useful alternative point of access for our patients. Our patients have the option to contact or be contacted by our Service via email or SMS. We use SMS to advise our patients the doctors estimated time of arrival.
Email communication can be utilised by our patients to provide feedback, compliments or complaints, details of which are on our website. Patients can also complete the ‘Contact Us’ Form on our website.
Patients may also contact us via our social media pages which include Facebook and Instagram via public posts of private messages.
Emails between our Service and the patient, including any action taken are recorded in our Patient Feedback Register or patient health record, depending on nature of communication..
Our Service aims to ensure all patient messages or other communications including emails are responded to in a timely manner;
Telephone messages – within 24 hours
Email Communications – within 48 hours
Social Media Communications – within 48 hours
All methods of communication provide an immediate automated response to advise patients of other methods of communication should they require a more immediate response. Including how and when they can make a booking.
We aim to facilitate optimal communication opportunities with our patients. Patients who do not speak English or are hearing impaired are offered the choice of using one of the following services:
Our Service adheres to the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs), the Privacy Act 1988. A copy of our Privacy Policy can be found on our website www.dial-a-doctor.com.au