Are Online Medical Certificates Legit?

Definitely. There’s no doubt about it.

But under the right circumstances, and only through established healthcare software platforms such as MinuteHealth.

And they’ve become the go-to choice for medical certificates in Australia generally these days, given long wait times and travel needed to get an appointment just for one in person.

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Okay — so what circumstances need to be met to get one?

Essentially the same criteria need to be met as a traditional medical certificate — the only difference is that it isn’t face-to-face, rather it’s provided via a telehealth consultation.

Although there’s the word “tele” in the name, don’t let it mislead you — this consultation can take any form where communication occurs between the doctor and the patient, including text-based consultations.

What this means is that if you are wanting an added layer of convenience, some online services such as MinuteHealth provide a simple text-based consultation where you can submit your health concerns via a short medical questionnaire in the same way you might in-person and simply wait for the doctor to review and approve — practicing their patient duty of care in doing so.

Importantly, with good platforms, the consultation is solely between the Health Practitioner and the Patient — and the software platform purely enables this interaction seamlessly and securely.

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So who can actually provide an online sick certificate?

When getting a medical certificate through an online service, it’s important to note that it must be provided by a Registered Australian Health Practitioner who is recognised by the relevant medical authority, such as the Medical Board of Australia — the regulatory agency for Australian Medical Practitioners.

Any Health Practitioner that uses MinuteHealth's software platform to facilitate their consultations is guaranteed to be a Registered and experienced Australian Health Practitioner — there’s no risk of getting duped into fake medical certificates that you might experience elsewhere online.

And MinuteHealth has already helped facilitate over 40,000 medical certificates online — helping Australians actually get the rest they need on their sick days rather than wading through a sea of traffic and dealing with waiting rooms and appointments.

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So are many people getting online medical certificates nowadays?

Online medical certificates, and online health more generally, saw a rapid surge in demand due to COVID-19 limiting the ability of Australians to visit traditional healthcare providers.

In fact, one study found that compared to pre-COVID levels, telehealth usage had increased 38x by 2021. Put another way, that’s a 3800% increase. That’s around 7 times more than what Bitcoin grew in 2020…

Once savvy Aussies started getting medical certificates online during COVID, they quickly realised three things:

1. It’s far more convenient — if you’re in bed for whatever reason, physically or mentally needing the day off, you don’t need to leave as the initial consultation can be done from your mobile in minutes
2. It’s far more accessible — one study found that telehealth improves healthcare access for all populations, but in particular those in areas where access to health services is more difficult
3. It’s better value for money — rather than having to pay for a GP appointment, pay for travel to & from the GP or Pharmacist, and potentially still feel too bad to work another day, people have realised it’s far more convenient to just chill at home while a Partner Doctor sorts out their medical certificate

Believe it or not, there are more than 158,000,000 GP visits in Australia per year! Telehealth has an additional benefit of significantly reducing the burden on traditional healthcare, freeing up doctors to focus on quality of care, rather than quantity of care.

And most common health problems are able to be sorted by a Partner Doctor through MinuteHealth, such as a common cold, the flu, period pains, migraines, gastro — just to name a small few.

Being an Aussie owned & run company, MinuteHealth understands the importance of helping our fellow Aussies out in times of need.

We also understand what it’s like to be in the queue at a doctor’s office just to get a note to confirm things you already knew about your health, just so you can get paid on what should be your day off. Being able to get medical certificates online helps Australians get the rest they need when they need it so they can get back on their feet and back to contributing in no time.

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If you need an online medical certificate, it’s a simple process to get one through MinuteHealth:

📱 Head here

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📝 Fill in a short form — it asks for key details about your medical issue

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👨‍⚕️ Consult with your own Partner Doctor — they’ll take the medical information you provide and review within 24-48 hours

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📥 Get your medical certificate to your inbox — you’ll receive an SMS and an e-mail with your medical certificate ready to download

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It’s important to note that the independent Partner Doctor will read your health notes and make an informed decision on whether to provide you with a medical certificate or not. This Health Practitioner does not work for us, and we’ve created MinuteHealth to facilitate a convenient, ongoing connection with them.

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