Appointment lengths vary depending on your specialist, but the below gives you an indication:

Psychiatrist:
- Initial appointment 60-90 minutes
- Subsequent appointment 30-60 minutes
Psychologist:
- 60 minutes
Geriatrician:
- Initial appointment 60 minutes
- Subsequent appointment 30-60 Minutes
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For some people and in some situations, telehealth (seeing someone by video or telephone), can be just as effective or more effective than in-person care. The benefits of telehealth is access to a specialist for your healthcare needs anywhere, anytime, without having to travel long distances.

Everyone has individual preferences. Some people prefer telehealth because it is more convenient and they feel they find it less intimidating than going to a doctors office. Other people prefer to sit in the same room as the person they are talking to. The best way to know is to try it out!

You can have your appointment from your home or from your GP practice. Either way you will need a device with a camera and microphone and a good internet connection.

Home appointments: You can book an appointment online at any time that is convenient for you.

Appointments from your GP practice: Please contact your GP practice to check if they can facilitate the appointment at a time that is convenient for you. If they need more details they can contact Dokotela directly to inquire via our contact form.

Your appointment should be held in a private room at home or office. If you are not in a safe and appropriate location your appointment will be terminated and you will be charged a cancellation fee by your specialist.

You will need a device with a camera, speaker, microphone and good internet connection.

If you don’t have the equipment you need for the appointment or are not confident to join the video conference yourself you have two options.

You can do the appointment with a friend or family member who has a device and internet connection you can use, if you are comfortable with this option. Or we can arrange for the appointment to be facilitated from your referring GP clinic, so that the staff in the practice can help you connect to your appointment. If you would like to take this option, please complete a contact form so we can help you book this in.

Data used for a 30-minute appointment is ~150-500 MB.

See our instructions HERE

We recommend you bring a support person – this is a family member or friend, anyone you feel comfortable with or trust. However, you don’t have to bring anyone if you don’t want to. Please bring any medication you are currently taking and if you have been to hospital lately any discharge summaries that you have available.

You are able to change or cancel your appointment anytime up until 48 hours before your appointment at no cost by completing a patient contact form or calling 02 8003 7668. Specialists providing care through Dokotela maintain a cancellation policy which requires at least 48 hours notice if you would like to cancel or change your appointment. These appointments are difficult to fill where your specialist has not been provided with enough notice, so they may charge a cancellation fee if you do not give at least 48 hours’ notice of a change/cancellation or you fail to show up for your appointment.

Once a diagnosis is made, your psychiatrist develops a treatment plan for you that may include prescribing medications. Sometimes patients attend several appointments before they’re diagnosed and given medication, while others may receive medications sooner.

If you have any concerns regarding your medications, please see your GP. They will be able to advise you of how to manage these side effects and can contact your Psychiatrist directly if required.

Most of our specialists only provide treatment and do not fill in other documents or reports. If you do require some other documentation or report, please contact our staff here to discuss your requirements and the cost associated. This includes any legal documentation, workers compensation documentation, driving assessments and firearms assessments.