Some people would rather not do a first appointment alone. A partner remembers the questions you meant to ask, a friend takes notes, and an adult child can sort out the laptop. On a telehealth call, that person can sit beside you at the kitchen table or join from their own home.
Australian telehealth guidance treats this as normal. The Medical Board of Australia’s telehealth guidelines, in effect since 1 September 2023, say patients should be told before the call that they can have support people present, and they name family members, friends, other health practitioners, carers and interpreter services.
Key points:
- Anyone you choose can join. A partner, relative, friend, carer or interpreter can sit in, in the room with you or on the line from somewhere else.
- The Clinician will ask who is there. Telehealth guidance asks practitioners to confirm the identity of everyone present, so expect a short introduction at the start.
- You decide what they hear. You can ask your support person to step out for part of the call, and the Clinician can ask to speak with you alone.
- Ask for a professional interpreter if you need one. The guidelines ask practitioners to check whether one is needed, and a family member can still join as your support person.
Who can join a telehealth consultation?
Anyone who helps you take part can join. For most people that is a partner or close family member. Others bring a friend who knows their history, a paid carer, a support worker, or another health practitioner involved in their care, such as a GP or a counsellor.
The person does not need to be in the same room. A daughter in Perth can join a call with her father in Hobart if the video platform allows a second participant, and a phone consultation can sometimes run as a three-way call. Tell the clinic when you book, so the link or dial-in details go to both of you.
Two people sharing one screen works well for video. Sit side by side, check that both faces fit in the camera frame, and use one device with the volume up. Two devices in the same room tend to feed back and squeal.
What happens at the start of the call?
The Clinician will introduce themselves and then ask who is with you. The Medical Board guidelines ask practitioners to confirm, as far as they can, the identity of the patient and of anyone else present at each consultation. In practice that means a name, how the person knows you, and sometimes a quick look at them on camera.
Expect a question about consent as well. The Clinician will want to know that you are happy for this person to hear your health information, and they will note who was present in your record. If a second person is joining from elsewhere, they may be asked to confirm they are somewhere private.
Your support person can speak, ask questions and help you remember details. The Clinician is still assessing you, so most questions will be directed to you, and they will want your answers in your own words where you can give them.
Can you speak to the Clinician alone?
Yes, and either of you can ask for it. Some topics are easier to raise without a partner or parent listening, and a Clinician may also ask to speak with you privately for part of a consultation. Neither request means anything is wrong.
Plan it before the call. A simple arrangement works: your support person stays for the introduction and the history, then makes a cup of tea while you finish. If they are on a separate device, they can drop off and rejoin.
The Medical Board guidelines also ask that patients be told to think about their surroundings and who might hear the call. That covers housemates and children as much as invited guests, so pick a room with a door you can close. Our post on privacy in a telehealth consultation covers what the clinic does with what it hears.
When should you book an interpreter?
When you would rather describe your health in another language, or would struggle to follow detailed advice in English. The telehealth guidelines ask practitioners to check whether an interpreter is needed and, if so, whether a professional interpreter who speaks your language or dialect should be organised.
A bilingual relative can still help as your support person, but interpreting is a different job. They may soften a question, summarise an answer or leave out something they find awkward, and you lose the exact words that a clinical decision rests on. Ask for a professional interpreter when you book, name the language and dialect, and say whether you prefer a male or female interpreter. Your family member can still join as your support person.
How should a support person prepare?
A support person helps most when they know what the appointment is for and what you want from it. Ten minutes beforehand covers it:
- Agree on their role. Tell them whether you want notes taken, prompts when you forget something, help with the technology or simply company.
- Write down your questions together. Put the three that matter most at the top, so they get asked even if time runs short.
- Share the facts they can help with. Dates of previous appointments, names of past medicines, and the details you tend to forget under pressure.
- Settle what stays private. If there is something you will raise alone, tell them they will be asked to step out and why that is fine.
- Test the setup. Same device, same chairs, five minutes early.
Our post on what to expect from your first telehealth consultation walks through the call itself, and keeping a symptom log gives a support person something concrete to bring.
Can the support person record the consultation?
Not without everyone’s agreement. The Medical Board guidelines require a record of consent from all participants if a consultation is digitally recorded. That includes a phone left recording on the table. If you want a record, ask the Clinician at the start whether you can take notes or receive a written summary instead.
The bottom line
You can bring a support person to a LeafLine consultation, and national telehealth guidance expects you to be told so before the call. Decide their role, tell the clinic when you book, and agree in advance on any part of the conversation you will have alone. Book a professional interpreter rather than relying on family for anything clinical.
If you are unsure whether to bring someone, ask on a free 10-minute info call or read how it works.
