If you have been referred to the Menopause Symptoms after Cancer clinic, you have an option to have your consultations online by telehealth. This can help reduce the travel and time burdens associated with your treatment.
The specialist consultation you have at the clinic is a conversation. For the majority of our patients, an actual examination is not required.
The discussion with the doctor will include your history, symptoms, the life impact of your cancer journey, and your preferences. If you need testing, that can be arranged at a place close to where you live.
Together, you and your doctor will agree on which options are best for you. This conversation can be done remotely, by telehealth.
If you prefer, you still have the option to have your consultation in person at the Women's.
Speaking as a patient, Noelene recommends the telehealth option “You can gain so much – as I did”, she says.
Noelene lives in rural Victoria, and has telehealth consultations with her doctor at the clinic. She chooses to do this, amongst other reasons, because it’s easy to log onto the system qnd she doesn’t have to take leave from work.
There’s now no need to drive to Melbourne. In the past, a standard appointment at the hospital meant driving for six hours, staying overnight with family, getting to hospital and waiting, and then another six hour drive home.
All of this means there is less anxiety and stress – which is what Noelene wants on her cancer journey.
Rebecca Szabo (Specialist Obstetrician, Gynaecologist and Medical Educator at the Women’s), and Casey Bradley (Project Officer of the SMART Project) are delighted that the Women’s can provide this specialised online service for women who have already been diagnosed with cancer.
Rebecca describes the online areas. The first is a reception area where patients arrive when they first login. They speak to a clerical staff member, who checks them in and then transfers them to an online waiting room. The doctor can see who is there waiting for them.
Patients are sent the web page address for the video call. A couple of days before the appointment, they can use the test call link to check their connection and sort out any technology issues.