Hi Psychiatrists,
You can work where,
when and as much as
you like here.
As seen on:
Here's why Doctors choose to work with us
Flexible and convinient
Work where, when & as much
as you like
Easy
All admin, billing and secure technology is covered, by us
Collaborative
We have a supportive group to assist you in dealing with any complication that may arise
We would like to introduce you to our team of 35 Psychiatrists, as well as 4 Psychologists and 2 Geriatricians, who have joined Dokotela.
Our providers found in previous practices that they spent a lot of time completing admin tasks, and not on what they loved to do – helping people! They were looking for an environment where they could work when and where they wanted. They wanted to reduce time spent on admin and handling the day-to-day issues that arise when in practice.
They wanted to be rewarded financially for their skill. They wanted to love their job again
Interested to join them?
Here is how we will support you
- Appointment scheduling? Sorted
- Leading practice management software (including MIMS)? Sorted
- Billing? Sorted
- Instant messaging for support and advice? Sorted
- Outreach team to find you referrals? Sorted
- Work within your scope of practice? Sorted
By downloading the FREE handbook you will find out:
- What does Dokotela do?
- Why we’re different.
- How we support our team of specialists.
- Types of work and how we manage your scope of practice.
- How your billing is processed.
- Our specialists’ take on why they love working for Dokotela!
FAQ
Dokotela’s aim is to make telehealth hassle-free.
Our service includes:
- Setting up a secure telehealth virtual room
- Onboarding/marketing to GPs
- Bookings and calendar management
- Practice management software (including MIMS and templates)
- Reception service
- Trouble-shooting software issues
- Billing
We hold your hand through the whole process so you can just focus on providing high-quality clinical care.
We currently provide over 1,000 consultations per month. We are a group of 35 Specialists- most are part-time a few work full-time.
Dokotela is like any other private practice. Generally our specialists charge similar fees to keep things simple. We can provide a recommendation based on what other specialists charge. New clients usually pay ~$600-750 and review clients ~$250-450.
Dokotela charges you a percentage of your billings. For more details please contact us for a confidential discussion.
It is worth remembering that the principal cost in telehealth is patient non-attendance. Dokotela operations staff work very hard to keep this to a minimum. The quality of our operations team saves you time and money.
Dokotela is different from most telehealth platforms because of the model that we always work collaboratively with our patient’s support people and referrers.
Practically, we do this by:
Requesting every patient bring a support person to their appointment;
Encouraging appointments to include referrers (either in person with the appointment at their clinic or via video conference)
Providing referrers with treatment plans to manage their clients (item numbers available); Requesting GPs to write the prescriptions for their clients to engage them more closely in their clients treatment
1. We work as a team, we often refer patients for second opinions within our team of Specialists
2.We manage concerns or complaints on your behalf. Our head of people is often able to easily resolve any dissatisfaction or miscommunications that occur
3.We have a Dokotela instant messaging group for our Specialists to communicate their questions and concerns. All specialists are very supportive and offer advice and assistance to each other.
20% of billings (including GST).
Payment for services will be received by Dokotela so we can confirm all your appointments have been paid and there are no outstanding debtors. Each Monday you will receive a statement of payment and funds will be deposited into your account for the week prior.
When you start with Dokotela you will be required to complete a Medicare form for payment details, this should be sent to us at least 10 business days before you start consulting to avoid your first payment being delayed.
The principal cost in telehealth is patient non attendance. Dokotela operations staff work very hard to keep this to a minimum, we are constantly refining our processes. If 50% of your patients don’t attend then effectively the Specialist is paying a 50% fee! We make sure that doesn’t happen to our Specialists. The quality of our operations team saves you a large amount of time and money.
Dokotela Specialists can charge an upfront fee for their consults (staff then process Medicare rebates). Alternatively, where Medicare bulk billing incentives are available, Specialists can bulk bill. Once the fee is processed and paid in full, the patient claim is submitted by our staff and the patient receives a rebate from Medicare directly (if applicable).
If a patient requests a service other than treatment (such as reports, letters, forms etc.) it is at your discretion what you would like to charge the patient (we can make recommendations).
If you see a patient who is inappropriate for management via video conference you can speak to the GP and tell him/her that this is the case – this is your clinical decision.
You can discuss concerns with other Specialists on the WhatsApp group at any time (or call our Medical Director).
All practitioners are required to consult with Dokotela a minimum of 4 hours per week. This is to cover the cost of the subscriptions required to be on the platform.
You can work within your scope of practice. For example, if you are not comfortable prescribing Psychostimulants we will make a note of this and not send you these patients.
We operate under a collaborative care model. This means that appointments nearly always take place from the GP practice. The GP attends for at least the last few minutes of each appointment in order to agree on a treatment plan and to enable the GP to write the prescriptions that you recommend.
This is done in order to build GP capacity to manage more complex illness. It enables the patient to access a knowledgeable GP if the medication is ineffective or causing side-effects. It shares the medico-legal liability more fairly and ensures the GP is involved in the patient outcomes.
If a patient wants to have a consult from home for a particular reason we will only allow this if appropriate in the circumstances (e.g. Coronavirus isolation). This is not deemed appropriate for Psychostimulants (this needs to be done from GP office so it can be monitored). If you have existing patients you are comfortable seeing from home that is fine- you can let us know.
Dokotela’s aim is to make telehealth hassle-free. We take care of all the administration so that you can focus on providing high-quality care to your patients.
This includes:
- Setting up a secure telehealth virtual room
- Onboarding/marketing to GPs Bookings and calendar management
- Reception service (rebooking, sending treatment plans/correspondence to GPs etc)
- Billing
We hold your hand through the whole process so you can just focus on providing high-quality clinical care.
We currently provide over 1,000 consultations per month. We are a group of 35 Specialists- most are part-time a few work full-time.
Collaborative Care Model
Dokotela is different from most telehealth platforms because of the model that we always work collaboratively with GP’s in managing their patients.
Practically, we do this by always trying to arrange appointments at the GP medical practice and requesting every patient to have time discussing the treatment plan with the Specialist, GP, and carers. We also request the GP to write the prescriptions to engage the GP more closely in the treatment of their patient.
We provide educational input, diagnostic clarification, suggestions regarding medication and possible side-effects and recommend appropriate e-health psychological services. We also ask about local psychosocial services with which the patient can engage.
- We work as a team, we often refer patients for 2nd opinions within our team of Specialists
- We manage complaints on your behalf by having an assigned complaints officer who will contact the patient and ask how best to resolve the dissatisfaction, often by offering a 2nd opinion. Most complaints relate to miscommunications that can usually be easily resolved
- We have a Dokotela Whatsapp group for our Specialists to communicate their questions and concerns. We are all very supportive and offer advice and assistance to this group
Payment for services will be received by Dokotela so we can confirm all your appointments have been paid and there are no outstanding debtors. Each Monday you will receive a statement of payment and funds will be deposited into your account for the week prior.
Please ensure you provide MBS items immediately following each appointment to avoid payments being delayed. When you start with Dokotela you will be required to complete a Medicare form for payment details, this should be sent to us at least 10 business days before you start consulting to avoid your first payment being delayed. The principal cost in telehealth is patient non-attendance.
Dokotela operations staff work very hard to keep this to a minimum, we are constantly refining our processes. If 50% of your patients don’t attend then effectively the Specialist is paying a 50% fee! We make sure that doesn’t’ happen to our Specialsits. The quality of our operations team saves you a large amount of time and money.
There is an out-of-pocket fee associated with all Dokotela appointments. Patients will be required to pay the appointment fee and we will then process the Medicare rebate on their behalf.
If a patient requests a service separate from their treatment (reports, letters, forms etc.) it is at your discretion what you would like to charge the patient (we can let you know what other Specialists charge if helpful).
If a patient wants to have a consult from home for a particular reason we will ensure the patient is appropriate for a home appointment.
If you see a patient who is inappropriate for management via video conference you can speak to the GP and tell him/her that this is the case – this is your clinical decision.
You can discuss concerns with other Specialists on the WhatsApp group at any time (or call our Medical Director).
- You can specify what types of work you will/won’t do
- All practitioners are required to consult with Dokotela a minimum of 4 hours per week. This is to cover the cost of the subscriptions required to be on the platform.
- You can work within your scope of practice, although by its nature telehealth tends to stretch the clinical problems that you will encounter.
- For example, if you are not comfortable prescribing Psychostimulants we will make a note of this and not send you these patients
Dokotela is an Australian owned and operated company making specialist care more accessible by connecting patients across Australia with specialist doctors and clinicians through a secure video-conferencing platform. Dokotela has Psychiatrists (Adult, Child and Adolescent), Geriatricians, Psychologists and Dieticians available.
Telehealth is a virtual consultation that is completed over a video platform such as Zoom. Appointments are performed from the referring doctor/GP clinic. It is not a phone call, the Specialist must be able to both see and hear you for a consultation.
There is an out-of-pocket fee associated with all Dokotela appointments. You will be
required to pay the appointment fee and we will then process the Medicare rebate on your behalf.
Please contact our team on (02) 8003 7668 to enquire regarding the out of pocket costs.
At Dokotela, we encourage collaborative care with a referring GP. This is integral to ensure that GPs are aware of patients needs and medications and are able to assist the patient with follow up questions or concerns. It is also important to be located at a general practitioner clinic as it is a safe space for a psychiatry consultation to take place, and GPs are present should any issues arise.
General waiting times for an appointment is 2-6 weeks, subject to your availability. If you are flexible with the times you are available, we can get you seen quickly. We can also place patients on a cancellation list if you would like an earlier appointment. Please note while we endeavour to accommodate urgent appointments, we are not an emergency service.
If you do require urgent care, please see your general practitioner or go to the emergency department at your local hospital.
Your general practitioner clinic can book an appointment on your behalf, provided you have communicated your availability, alternatively you can call Dokotela. You must have a valid referral that has already been sent to Dokotela to book an appointment.
We require:
- A valid referral
- Medicare card
- Debit or credit card to secure your appointment
- Up to date contact information
We require a debit or credit card to secure your appointment. Our cancelation policy requires 48 hours notice if you would like to cancel or change your appointment. These appointments are difficult to fill without you providing enough notice, so there is a fee of $110 if you do not give us 48 hours notice of a change/cancellation or you fail to show up for your appointment.
Patient’s must speak with their specialist at the time of appointment, generally the specialist will recommend that your GP write a script including repeats. If your specialist is writing the script , it is the patient’s responsibility to ensure they book a follow up appointment before their medication runs outs. We cannot facilitate urgent appointments for patients if their script has run out.
Dokotela must be able to contact you to confirm an appointment. If we need further information we will call you and leave a voicemail or send a text. If we do not need additional information from you, we will ask you to confirm by replying to our SMS reminders.
Some of our specialists are happy to provide reports however there are associated costs for a report to be performed. Here are the reports that some of our doctors can perform:
- Driver’s license
- Firearms license
- Court/legal documents
- Workers Compensation
Please notify our friendly team if you wish to a specialist who can provide these reports. We will speak with a specialist and inform you of the cost of the report.
