Our video conferencing medical assessment platform – MAG Telehealth, has proven to be a very popular option for holding Independent Medical and Injury Management Consultations for a number of years now.

This digital teleconferencing tool enables consultations to take place with both the specialist and the claimant being in two separate locations.

MAG Telehealth does not require any fancy gadgets or accessories to stream. A reliable laptop or personal computer with fully functioning audio-visual features is all that is required to participate.

This cloud-based program is safeguarded by the most up-to-the-minute, data security controls. MAG Telehealth has been developed to ensure the highest standard of confidentiality for its users.

Claimants are free to disclose all the details and histories of their conditions to their examining  specialists, in much the same way as they would in a face-to-face consultation.

A consent form is sent to the Claimant for signing and must be returned to the MAG office no later than forty-eight hours prior to the online assessment. This confirms the claimant’s willingness to be assessed by the specialist through this online method.

In order for a meeting to commence, both the specialist and the claimant simply click on the hyperlink. The doctor asks the claimant the same questions as they would in a standard, face-to-face meeting.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the MAG Telehealth platform has proven to have enormous value for our clients, claimants and the MAG team. Specialists have continued to assess claimants via this superior video conferencing option, thereby keeping all parties safe and eliminating any risk of virus transmission.

MAG Telehealth became the only viable way that specialist assessments could continue during lockdown periods when severe, government-imposed restrictions meant that all face-to-face assessments in the MAG offices had to be temporarily suspended.

Although many of our offices are now open for business, the strictest safety measures are being enforced. Claimants who attend our offices are required to show evidence of full vaccination and negative COVID-19 test results. These results must be from a test they underwent no longer than forty-eight hours prior to the appointment.

A high proportion of NSW residents have been fully vaccinated and restrictions are being gradually lifted. Whilst we are offering in-person assessments, MAG respectfully encourages our clients to continue booking MAG Telehealth for their client’s consultations whilst the virus is circulating throughout the community.

Ensuring the safety of our specialists, your claimants and the MAG team is of paramount importance to us during this difficult time.

Holding assessments via MAG Telehealth obviously has many great time and money saving advantages for both you and your claimants. We have been overwhelmed with positive feedback from many of our claimants who have advised that they preferred the online meetings to regular, physical examinations.

Without the need to spend time and money travelling to a city office to meet with a specialist, claimants can attend an examination either at their Lawyer’s or Insurer’s office, or at a medical centre close to where they live. Whichever is easiest for them.

Telehealth appointments are medical assessments that are conducted over the telephone or via the internet. The two parties, doctor and claimant, are in different locations and hold the meeting through either one of these communication channels.

These assessments are conducted exactly the same way as regular examinations in that the specialist asks the claimant the same type of questions. The only difference is that they are not together in the same room.

It’s true that in many examinations doctors will require claimants to perform special movements in order to test their physical tolerances. However, this can just as easily be done in the claimant’s very own physiotherapist’s clinic. Being present during the online meeting, the physiotherapist will guide the claimant’s movements in accordance with the doctor’s instructions.

This allows the doctor to remotely evaluate the claimant’s level of fitness, without having any physical contact with the claimant.

This is done very quickly and easily, although we recommend that claimants be ready to start the meeting at least ten minutes before the scheduled time. This is to ensure that any technical difficulties are overcome beforehand and to avoid keeping the doctor waiting.

Both the specialist and the claimant, click on the hyperlink to begin the meeting. Once both parties have done this, the meeting will have commenced.

If a claimant is running late, the specialist will wait no longer than fifteen minutes after the commencement time before terminating the meeting. This will then attract a cancellation fee for the claimant’s lawyer.

No, for the same reasons that face-to-face meetings are not recorded, MAG do not record telehealth consultations. This is due to our stringent privacy regulations.

No. Laptops and personal computers are the only acceptable devices for conducting MAG eAssess consultations. The visibility provided by smaller screened devices is considered inferior to standard personal computers, which offer greater screen resolutions, through which doctors can view their subjects more clearly.

Telehealth meetings may be held in a private and quiet room within a Lawyer’s or Insurer’s office as these provide the most ideal, professional settings. The room must not be entered by any other party while the meeting is taking place.

Online assessments must not be held at the claimant’s home as there are too many distracting influences that could affect the quality of the assessment.

A room in the claimant’s Nominated Treating Doctor’s surgery or other medical centre offers another optimum environment for a telehealth assessment to take place.

Absolutely. As far as the courts are concerned, a telehealth appointment is no different to a face-to-face assessment. The questions asked by the doctor should be exactly the same. What the court considers is the report provided by the specialist. The medical findings and opinions expressed by the doctor are ultimately what the judge will consider when making their ruling.

Provided the specialist was able to clearly see and hear the claimant, then the method by which the assessment was conducted should not matter.

MAG do not permit any other party to accompany claimants to our consultations, unless pre-approval is granted by the specialist. If the claimant requires an Interpreter to be present, then we naturally make an exception in these instances.

However, if a claimant wants a partner or friend to join them in the online assessment, they must first request the written approval of the specialist, well in advance of the scheduled meeting date, for this to be allowed.

Yes, you sure can. The process for booking a MAG telehealth appointment is actually very straightforward. All you need to do is login to the MAG Kawaconn platform and follow the steps.

If you have any questions, or would like to book your online appointment, please email our team at admin@medicolegalassessmentsgroup.com.au or phone 02 8090 7611.