Questionnaire-Based Certificates vs Real Doctor Consultations
Not all online medical certificate services are the same. Learn why the Medical Board of Australia has concerns about questionnaire-only services and how to spot the difference.
The rise of questionnaire-only services
Several online platforms offer medical certificates based solely on a short questionnaire with no real doctor interaction. While fast and cheap, the Medical Board of Australia has publicly stated that issuing certificates based solely on questionnaires is 'not good medical practice' and raises concerns about patient safety and certificate validity.
What makes a 'real' consultation?
A genuine telehealth consultation includes clinical assessment by a registered doctor, opportunity for the patient to ask questions, safety screening for serious conditions, the doctor forming a clinical opinion based on the information provided, and follow-up communication if needed. DoccyMed includes all of these elements.
Why it matters for you
Certificates from questionnaire-only services may not hold up to employer scrutiny, may not be Centrelink compliant, and importantly, may miss serious health conditions that require urgent attention. DoccyMed's clinical safety screening has flagged potentially serious conditions that would have been missed by a questionnaire.