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Why Online Medical Certificates Can’t Replace Your GP

Online medical certificates are a quick and convenient option for various needs like work, school leave, and travel. While they offer numerous benefits, they do not replace the comprehensive care your regular General Practitioner (GP) provides. Your GP can play a significant role in managing ongoing health conditions, offering preventive care, and understanding your medical history in ways an online service cannot.

Recognising the differences between online medical certificates and the care a GP offers can help you make informed decisions about your health. While online services are useful for specific situations, your regular GP remains an important part of your healthcare team, enabling thorough and personalised care.

What Online Medical Certificates Offer

Online medical certificates provide notable convenience and speed, saving you time and effort when you need a certificate promptly. There’s no need to travel to a clinic or wait in long queues, which can be particularly helpful if you’re unwell. You can obtain your certificate from the comfort of your home, often within the same day.

These certificates are practical in numerous situations. They can validate your absence from work or school, provide proof of carers’ leave, or confirm your health status for flights and events, making them versatile tools in everyday scenarios.

The process of obtaining an online medical certificate is straightforward. You start by creating an account, or logging back into your account, and simply requesting a consultation with the click of a button. A doctor will then contact you to discuss your symptoms and confirm your needs. After the consultation, if everything checks out, the doctor will issue a certificate that will be available for you to download within your password-protected account, maintaining that the certificates are valid and backed by a real medical consultation, providing reassurance.

The Role of Your General Practitioner

Your regular GP can play an important role in your overall health by providing comprehensive care that addresses immediate concerns and long-term health. A GP conducts thorough health assessments, can order tests, and offers personalised treatment plans. This approach allows for effective monitoring and management of your health.

Ongoing health assessments by a GP hold significant value. Regular check-ups can help detect issues early before they develop into major problems. Early identification of high blood pressure or diabetes, for example, can lead to better management and outcomes. Personalised care allows for your GP to tailor advice and treatment to meet your specific needs, making healthcare more effective and relevant to you.

Regular visits to a GP are also helpful for managing chronic conditions. If you have conditions like asthma, diabetes, or hypertension, consistent monitoring and treatment adjustments by a GP can prevent complications. Your GP can assist with managing your medications, lifestyle changes, and monitor your condition’s progress. This continuity of care is important in controlling chronic issues, enhancing your quality of life.

Benefits of Having a Regular GP

Continuity of care with a regular GP offers many advantages. By seeing the same doctor over time, your medical history is known, and your GP can become familiar with your health needs and concerns. This relationship builds trust and allows for tailored advice and treatment.

A GP who knows your medical history can make informed decisions about your health. Their awareness of your past illnesses, allergies, and medications aids in accurate diagnosis and effective treatment, preventing complications from incomplete information.

Preventive healthcare is another role of a GP. Regular check-ups with your GP can identify potential health issues early, such as high blood pressure or diabetes, allowing for timely intervention. Early diagnosis through routine screenings and tests can significantly improve your health outcomes and help avoid more severe problems.

Understanding the Limitations of Online Medical Certificates

While online medical certificates are helpful, some situations can benefit from a GP’s consultation. Online consultations may not capture the full extent of your condition.

Physical examinations are useful for accurate diagnosis. Some health issues can only be identified through a physical check-up, which online consultations cannot provide. A GP can assess your overall health more thoroughly with face-to-face interaction, using tools and tests unavailable online.

Relying solely on online consultations might lead to missed diagnoses or inadequate care for chronic conditions. Your GP offers a level of personalised care and continuous health monitoring that online services cannot match.

This Is Why Online Medical Certificates Can’t Replace Your GP

Online medical certificates are a convenient and speedy option for specific needs, but they are not a replacement for the in-depth care that can be provided by your regular GP. Your GP can offer comprehensive care, know your medical history, and provide important preventive healthcare and early diagnosis. The ongoing relationship with your GP can help make sure your health is managed effectively.

MyMedCert provides fast and easy online medical certificates in Australia after a robust consultation for situations requiring immediate but generalised medical documentation, such as work or school leave. However, don’t neglect to regularly visit your GP for continued and personalised care.

What people are saying about My Med Cert

Testimonials

Kane5/5
My consult with Matt from MyMedCert was really helpful. He took the time to talk with my about my situation and provide guidance on how I could improve my health. Much more than I expected and am quite grateful.
Jarmahn5/5
Really great service, very simple and helpful! Highly recommend! 😊
Stella5/5
Exceptional doctor that did my consult, i've always just chosen random online medical companies for my doctors certificates however will be staying with you guys after such a great experience. Excited for the app!

Frequently Asked Questions

If you have any questions or concerns feel free to contact us.

Can you do retrospective medical certificates?

Yes. Perhaps the majority of the medical certificates issued are, in fact, retrospective because you, the patient, are often too sick to get to the doctor at the time you need the certificate. We can date the certificate the day of the consultation and state the dates you were unwell within the certificate if this is deemed appropriate by the attending doctor. Many services don’t offer this, and some who do will only retrospect a day or so. If your My Med Cert doctor believes it appropriate, we can retrospect a certificate a week or more. Be aware, however, that your consulting doctor may request some evidence.

No, because backdating is illegal. What this really means is the doctor stating the consult occurred a day earlier than it actually did. Technically, this is lying and is illegal. However, we do retrospective medical certificates.

A My Med Cert medical certificate is only $29.

If you require an extension within 7 days, you’ll get the next one at 20% off.

There are over 50 telehealth services in Australia that provide medical certificates. Of these, about ten only provide tick and flick, or asynchronous care, which the Medical Board of Australia does not support, as it is, frankly, dangerous and illegitimate medicine for you, the patient. Of the remaining 40 or so that provide “real-time” consultations, at least five have non-doctors providing an “absence certificate”. This is legally different to a medical certificate because it is not supplied by a medical doctor but rather by a nurse or a pharmacist. Of the remaining 35 or so, their prices range from about $25 to $100 for a consultation (the average price is around $43 for a one- to two-day medical certificate only). Because these services also provide general consultations, you are left to compete with other patients who often need much more time with the doctor and, therefore, may have extended wait periods. My Med Cert is one of the cheapest services that provides legitimate medical certificates with less wait time.

We have created an easy-to-use portal to order your medical certificates, which are QR code-verified and trusted by childcare services, schools, employers and others.

Creating an account allows us to quickly action your certificate request.

You can log in at any time to access your past medical certificates.

We are Australian doctors, and My Med Cert is proudly owned and operated in Australia.

While other medical certificate providers utilise these types of practitioners online, they can only provide an absence certificate, not a medical certificate, which is legally different and may be invalid for your needs.

We only have doctors providing legitimate medical certificates after a proper medical consultation.

My Med Cert platform is one of, if not the most secure, telehealth services available, having gone through rigorous testing and approvals from government agencies.

With most other services, yes, you would. But not with My Med Cert. We understand that these things often come in pairs/multiples and we do not want to double-dip into your pocket.

For example: If you have an ill child and you are staying home to care for them, we can do the medical certificate for you and your child in the same consultation.

Patient care and follow-up are important to us. Other services provide so little follow-up care that different doctors working for the same telehealth service might not even know that you’ve been seen previously by another doctor from the same service. However, one of the benefits of having a regular GP you see in person is having that hub of care. Your regular face-to-face GP is in a unique position in terms of the medical care model to coordinate various aspects of healthcare for you and pick up things earlier that may be missed otherwise. However, with the lack of GPs in Australia only set to worsen and the number of sick days Australians take each year, having a legit, professional medical certificate service online can help. But we don’t want to leave your regular GP out of the loop.

Let us know, we can fix it. However, we endeavour to have all of your information correct the first time.

Our doctors are not simply providing a medical certificate service, but a thorough medical consultation.

Because at My Med Cert, we endeavour to only have doctors who will conduct thorough medical consultations, ensuring the medical certificate that is provided is legitimate, legal and appropriate.

Not a worry. We can still have a consultation and, if appropriate, issue a medical certificate, but we will encourage you to find a regular GP in person.

We do not issue “clearance” or return-to-work certificates. These should be issued after an in-person assessment to determine whether you are thoroughly well enough to return to work.

My Med Cert also does not do Centrelink certificates or complete other forms for things such as University, Insurance purposes, or cancellation of memberships. We do not do driver authorisation certifications. We advise you to attend your regular GP in person if you require these.

Another benefit of using MyMedCert is that we understand sometimes you need an extension of your certificate because you haven’t quite recovered fully. At MyMedCert we offer a reduced rate if you return within 7 days for this purpose.

Online Medical Certificates

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About My Med Cert

We are doctors that care about your health and believe you should be able to get medical certificates quickly when needed.

We offer a low price when compared to other medical certificate services.

There are other telehealth services out there that offer a variety of different services, including prescriptions, consultations, mental health care plans, etc. This all takes time, and for someone simply wanting a medical certificate, it doesn’t help to be placed in a queue with other patients and have to wait an hour or more.

At My Med Cert, that’s all we do – medical certificates. Quick and straightforward, reducing wait times for you. If you are unhappy with our service for any reason, we would like to hear from you so we can make any necessary changes to improve our service.
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