Covid-19 Policy
COVID-19 Notice
If your child has a booking with Adelaide Paediatrics, we kindly request that you read the following COVID-19 notice thoroughly.
The well-being of the Adelaide Paediatrics community, clients and staff, is of utmost importance. In the interests of community well-being, we would like to share our approach to decreasing the risk and reducing the spread of COVID-19.
We would like to reassure you that Adelaide Paediatrics remains open, following SA Dept of Health guidelines at all times to protect our community and minimise risk. Our focus is always to continue providing much-needed supports to children and families, whenever possible.
What does Adelaide Paediatrics request of you?
As vulnerable individuals attend our practice, such as those with auto-immune disorders, asthma, babies, etc., we respectfully request that you:
arrive on time for your appointment, neither too early nor too late to limit congestion in the waiting room;
stay in the car or outside the building if you happen to arrive early;
reschedule your appointment if you or your child are displaying any COVID-19 symptoms (particularly cough, fever or sore throat), runny nose, shortness of breath, change in taste, change in smell, diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, headache and muscle pain;
cover any coughs and sneezes, dispose of tissues, and use the alcohol-based hand sanitiser that is available at reception and in all clinic rooms;
limit the number of attendees to only those who are required;
observe social distancing protocols where possible;
maintain healthy hand hygiene at all times, washing your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds after using the restrooms or if your hands are visibly dirty;
hand sanitise frequently; particularly after touching your face.
In addition:
You may be required to have your temperature taken upon arrival;
In some circumstances you may be offered an alternative to an extended face-to face consultation, such as Telehealth or a part-Telehealth/ part face-to-face consultation;
Anyone over the age of 12 may be required to wear a mask indoors in healthcare settings. We provide disposable masks if you do not have one. Should you hold an exemption, you may be required to produce the document upon arrival.
We thank you for your ongoing support, encouragement, understanding and patience as we all work together to keep everyone safe while continuing to provide the usual high levels of care to our clients and patients.
If you are unsure or have any questions, please contact our friendly admin staff at one of our locations – CONTACT US
Reasons NOT to attend your appointment
We respectfully request that you do not come to your appointment if you are displaying any symptoms which may be contagious, including those related to COVID-19, such as:
Cough
Sore throat
Fever
Runny nose
Shortness of breath
Change in taste and/or smell
Diarrhoea
Nausea
Vomiting
Telehealth Consultations
In certain cases, video or telephone consultations may be possible.
Medicare released a series of consultation item numbers that are available to access paediatric medical appointments, mental health and “Autism Management Plan” appointments with allied health practitioners (e.g. Speech Pathology or Occupational Therapy).
Please note that if accessing Medicare Telehealth, a GP referral / Mental Health Care Plan is required, and the child must be present. Autism Management Plans can only be written by paediatricians (not GP’s).
NDIS participants may access Telehealth appointments with any of their allied health practitioners, if appropriate.
Please note that there may be various factors for you and your practitioner to consider before determining whether a Telehealth consultation is appropriate, for example:
your child’s ability to engage in a video or telephone appointment;
whether the service in question can be effectively delivered remotely
How to Use Microsoft Teams for Telehealth Consultations
As a practice we are utilising Microsoft “Teams” to conduct Telehealth consultations. If you are booked for a Telehealth consultation, please note that you will require a laptop or computer with a web cam, microphone and an internet connection. A smartphone or iPad may work; however, a laptop or desktop computer is recommended.
Prior to your consultation, you will receive an email link with an invitation to join the consultation. This link will take you directly to the consult where you can click “Join”.
Tips:
If you don’t receive this link, please check your “Junk” folder;
Your laptop or computer will ask you to either download the Teams app or use the web version. Using the web version will be much quicker;
On a Mac computer, Safari is not compatible. You will need to use Google Chrome or Firefox instead;
If you only have access to a mobile device, you will be prompted to download the Teams; application from the App Store or Google Play. Please do this before the appointment
You may be prompted to “enable” the camera or microphone in your device settings
In the event of any technical difficulties, we will call you on your phone, so please keep this handy.
Please note that when conducting telehealth appointments your practitioner may need to obtain or confirm from the patient’s parent/caregiver/guardian the following information at the commencement of each therapy session:
Your location;
The best contact number for you, in the event the online connection is interrupted at either side;
Contact details (name and phone number) of an emergency contact; and
That you have read, fully understood and accept the confidentiality matters described below.
If you would like any assistance, one of our staff members would be pleased to have a “trial run” with you before the appointment. Please contact reception to discuss this.
Confidentiality
The privacy of any form of communication via the internet or a mobile device is potentially vulnerable and limited by the security of the technology involved. Adelaide Paediatrics’ preferred platform for conducting Telehealth appointments is “Microsoft Teams”. Teams uses a secure, encrypted connection and data is stored in Australia. Teams is generally accessible to most people providing they have access to a device with an internet connection. Adelaide Paediatrics is not in the position to guarantee the integrity of the security of the communication platform employed.
What steps is Adelaide Paediatrics taking to minimise risk?
We have special measures in place to protect our community and to minimise risk, including:
sheets are not currently being used on examination beds; instead we are disinfecting the vinyl surfaces after each use;
all surfaces and door handles are being disinfected frequently;
therapy and medical equipment is being sanitised after each use;
staff and practitioners have been advised to stay at home if they are unwell in any way;
We are practicing “social distancing” in the following ways:
Separating chairs in the waiting room and clinic rooms
Adjustments to the required reception spaces, so that receptionists are not sitting too close to one another
NDIS
At this time of uncertainty, it is more important than ever that everyone has clear and simple information about what is happening, and what it means for you.
There has been a change the Cancellation Policy set by the NDIA. Clients will need give 7 business days in notice if they intend to cancel their appointments. Where the notice is not received, a 100% cancellation fee will apply.
We are pleased to confirm that Adelaide Paediatrics staff are keeping up-to-date with the evolving online training requirements as specified by the NDIS Quality & Safeguards Commission in relation to mandatory COVID-19 modules.