We would like to briefly explain Dr White’s role as an Independent Medical Examiner, and introduce you to the Telehealth video consultation process. By proceeding with the assessment, it will be assumed that you have read and understood this document (including the Consent & Agreement section at the end), will contact us to ask any questions, and are providing consent.
The consultation and assessment process takes 60 – 90 minutes, although this will vary according to your individual circumstances. Other time is allocated for document review and report preparation.
You will be asked questions about your situation, including when and how any problems started and their progression. Questions will be asked about any psychiatric and medical treatments you may have had in the past, as well as your personal, social and recreational life. This is to enable Dr White to fully understand how your injury, illness or situation could be affecting you. This is important in making the overall assessment and to make an independent and impartial expert assessment and objective clinical diagnosis, not to decide any claims or legal issues.
We understand undertaking a medico-legal examination can be stressful, and are committed to minimising distress, which is why we request you have a support person with you at home or readily available, unless you are certain you will not require support after the assessment. However, this person is not permitted to be present in the same room as you during the assessment, unless there are unusual circumstances such as requirement for an appointed guardian or interpreter. Children are also not permitted to be present in the same room.
Your medico-legal consultation will be through secure and encrypted video-conferencing technology.
2 days before the appointment you will be sent an SMS and Email with a reminder and link to this website (www.psychiatricreports.com.au)
Can I practise entering the Waiting Room before the appointment, to check my camera and microphone settings? Yes. We ask that you practise a few days before, by entering the Waiting Room via the Waiting Room tab at the top of this page; you won't disturb anyone and no-one will know you are there outside your appointment time (ignore the Waiting Room message). We also ask that you perform the Pre-Call Test to ensure everything is working. Don't hesitate to call us on 03 8900 3221 if you require assistance.
What about my information and privacy? Dr White has ethical and legal obligations and restrictions to which he must adhere to and abide. Also, this practice is covered by National & State Health Records and Privacy Acts, which require policies about how we manage information about you, and how you may access that information. To receive more information about the policies, please ask us. Will I be recorded or can I record the assessment? Audio and video recordings of interviews are potentially subject to subsequent misinterpretation and ‘out of context’ consideration by unqualified non-medical persons. This has the potential to be detrimental to the well-being of the individual, and to undermine the validity of the assessment.Therefore, Dr White does not allow the use of recording devices, and nor will he use them. It is illegal in Australia to communicate a private recording of a consultation without the consent of the participants, with limited exceptions.
Do I have to read and consent to the Consent and Agreement information below? Yes. Please carefully read the Consent and Agreement information below.
Do I need to bring any documents to my appointment? Please have a list of medications that you are taking, as well as the names of any current doctors, psychologists or other treaters. Can I hold my device such as a smartphone during the assessment? Please place your device on a table or other firm surface - otherwise, minor hand and body movements are inevitable and will be magnified, thus interrupting the assessment.
Consent & Agreement By proceeding with your Telehealth assessment, you will be regarded as having agreed with the following statements, and to have given consent:
The procedure for conducting the telehealth consultation has been fully explained to me and I understand that:
my consent relates to a single telehealth session
my participation is completely voluntary and I have the right to refuse to participate
I have the right to withdraw my consent and terminate the consultation at any time
I am being seen for a psychiatric evaluation for the purpose of medicolegal or legal proceedings and no treating psychiatrist/patient relationship is established. Dr White has an obligation to not intervene in my case or my treatment
Dr White is permitted to take notes during the consultation
the information I discuss will be included in a report that is prepared for the referring organisation. I consent to this report and any supplementary reports or verbal information being provided to that organisation
this report and further supplementary reports, and even my attendance at court may be required by the process, such that my report might be released by the referring organisation to other organisations, or lodged as an official document, and thus become a public document, although this is unlikely
Dr White may contact my treating practitioner(s) if necessary, for further clinical information
I will organise a support person to be available but not present in the room at the interview, during and following the assessment, if needed
I will advise Dr White immediately if I experience any difficulties during the interview
at the commencement of the interview Dr White will confirm my understanding of the processes, and answer any questions. I will not proceed with the interview unless I agree that my questions have been answered to my satisfaction, and I will not continue during the interview if I believe that the interview is not being conducted appropriately and professionally
I will not use a recording device or make any kind of recording of the interview
I will only contact Dr White or provide further documents after the appointment, if requested by Dr White. If I need further information about my claim or treatment, I will contact the referring organisation or my treating health practitioner
Please don’t hesitate to call us on 03 8900 3221 if you have any queries or difficulties.