healthdirect Video Call - FAQs for PHNs

Use this Registration link (Opens in new tab) to sign up for a licence for Video Call. The healthdirect Video Call team will be in touch to validate and onboard your practice.

The current eligibility criteria includes:

• General Practices

• ACCHOS

• Paediatrics and child health

• Palliative medicine

• Psychiatry

• Chiropractors

• Diabetes Educators

• Exercise Physiologists

• Mental Health Workers

• Midwives

• Nurses

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioners and Health Workers

• Nurse Practitioners

• Clinical Psychologists

• Psychologists

• Occupational Therapists

• Social Workers

• Speech Pathologists

• Physiotherapists

The Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing may review this eligibility from time to time.

The PHN primary contact will liaise with health care providers that register for healthdirect Video Call. This includes providing information, guidance and support to those who have signed up to healthdirect Video Call. This may include:

• Explaining what Video Call is, how to access it, what it offers and why it is different to Teams, Zoom, Webex or other business video conferencing platforms.

• Helping users/practice managers navigate access to resources and webinars produced by Healthdirect Australia, available in the Video Call Resource Centre (e.g. guidelines, templates, troubleshooting advice, instructional videos, materials and train the trainer sessions).

• Promoting the Video Call Helpline number — a dedicated support line assisting new users with the healthdirect Video Call platform.

• Sharing resources PHNs are developing/using to help build a knowledge base which other PHNs can use (acknowledging PHNs that produced and contributed the materials).

• Assisting with feedback and escalation to Healthdirect Australia about issues or common problems.

Healthdirect Australia's Video Call team provides full-service support for PHNs and practice managers. This includes:

• Video Call training sessions (Opens in new tab): induction, training and instructional webinars, RACGP/ACCRM accredited CPD and train the trainer sessions to onboard health professionals to the Video Call platform.

• healthdirect Video Call Resource Centre (Opens in new tab): a one-stop-shop 24/7 online hub for troubleshooting guides, technical requirements, administration of the platform and video demonstrations.

• Support desk (Opens in new tab): Operates Monday–Friday 8am–6pm (local time) the support desk helps with technical trouble-shooting on 1800 580 771 or videocallsupport@healthdirect.org.au (Opens in new tab)

healthdirect Video Call uses military-grade platform powered by Coviu, a spin-off from the CSIRO's Data61 digital innovation project.

healthdirect Video Call is browser-based and can be accessed by clinicians and patients via Google Chrome, Apple Safari, Microsoft Edge, Opera or Firefox on a Windows/Mac PC, smartphone or tablet. It works on low internet bandwidths — 4G or ADSL is sufficient.

healthdirect Video Call is purpose-built for health settings, complete with virtual clinics and waiting areas. It is a secure, private and sustainable mode of convenient access to care.

No account, special software or dial-in details are needed by patients.

healthdirect Video Call follows the applicable Australian Government Information Security Manual (ISM) (Opens in new tab) and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA (Opens in new tab)) for cyber-security guidelines and safeguards privacy by leaving no digital footprint.

Other video consultation platforms store the details of the call, including the call recording, in central servers (usually outside Australia) accessible by the video service provider and may put clinicians at risk of breach of privacy legislation without informed patient consent.

Visit healthdirect Video Call for more information about the service.