Telehealth · Australia-wide
Online Dietitian: Telehealth Appointments Australia-Wide
Video appointments with Accredited Practising Dietitians, anywhere in Australia. Medicare and private health rebates apply exactly as they do in person.
What an online dietitian appointment actually involves
Very little of a dietitian appointment needs you to be in the room. There is no physical examination in standard dietetics practice. What there is: a conversation about your history, your health, what you actually eat and when, what has been tried before, and what you want to be different. Then a plan, and then review.
A first appointment usually runs 45 to 60 minutes. Reviews are shorter. You get a link beforehand, there is nothing to install, and if your connection drops we finish on the phone. Written summaries, plans and any resources are emailed afterwards, which most people find more useful than notes scribbled in a waiting room.
What telehealth does better than a consulting room
This is rarely said, so: for dietetics specifically, video is not a compromise. In several respects it is better than the room.
- We can see the actual food. You can walk to the pantry and turn a packet around. Reading a label together beats trying to remember a brand name.
- We see the real kitchen. Advice that assumes an oven, a chest freezer or a lot of bench space is useless if you have none of those.
- Everyone can attend. Two parents in different places can join the same call. For work with young people, that matters more than almost anything else.
- Reviews actually happen. Most of the value in dietetics is in the fourth and fifth appointment. Those are the ones people cancel when they involve travel and parking.
Where telehealth is not the right choice
We would rather say this up front than have you find out three appointments in.
Telehealth is a poor fit if you need regular physical monitoring that someone has to perform in person — for example, where medical instability means weight and observations need taking by a clinician on a set schedule, as can happen in more acute eating disorder presentations. It is also a poor fit if you have no private space to talk from, or if the technology itself is a barrier that makes the appointment stressful rather than useful.
In those situations the right answer is in-person care, ideally local to you, and we will tell you so rather than take the booking. Where someone is medically unstable, dietetic care should sit inside a team that can monitor them properly.
Medicare, private health and NDIS
Telehealth dietetics is rebated on the same basis as an in-person appointment — this is a common misconception and the answer is simply yes.
With a GP Chronic Condition Management Plan, Medicare item 10954 currently attracts a rebate of $63.40 per session, for up to five allied health sessions per calendar year across all providers, with a minimum session length of 20 minutes. Eating disorder plans allow considerably more than five. Most private health funds with extras cover pay a rebate for dietetics, and eligible NDIS participants can use plan funding.
Our Medicare Eligibility Checker walks through the common pathways in about a minute.
What we work with
We are a small practice with deliberate depth rather than a long list. Telehealth is what lets that depth reach people who are nowhere near Newcastle.
Eating disorders in children, adolescents and young people · women’s health, including PCOS, endometriosis and menopause and perimenopause · fertility and preconception · pregnancy and postpartum · mental health and nutrition · medical nutrition therapy · SIL and NDIS support-worker training · clinical supervision for dietitians.
Where we can see you
By video: anywhere in Australia. Time zones are not a problem; we work around them.
In person: Mount Hutton only. Our rooms are at 18 Wilsons Road, Mount Hutton NSW 2290, near Charlestown. We do not travel and we do not run satellite clinics, so if you are outside Newcastle and Lake Macquarie, telehealth is how we will see you.
We have written specifically for the regions where we see the most people: Newcastle & Lake Macquarie · Central Coast · Maitland · Cessnock · Singleton · Muswellbrook · Port Stephens · Taree · Port Macquarie · Dubbo & Western NSW.
Common questions
Is an online dietitian as good as seeing one in person?
For most dietetics work, yes. There is no physical examination in a standard appointment, so a video call loses very little — and it gains the ability to see your kitchen, your pantry and the products you actually buy. The exception is where physical monitoring needs to be done in person on a schedule, which we cover above.
Can I claim Medicare for an online dietitian appointment?
Yes, on the same basis as an in-person visit. Under a GP Chronic Condition Management Plan, item 10954 currently rebates $63.40 per session, up to five allied health sessions per calendar year, with a minimum of 20 minutes per session. Eating disorder arrangements allow considerably more.
How much does an online dietitian cost in Australia?
Fees vary by practice. Across Australia an initial consultation commonly sits somewhere between about $80 and $200, with reviews shorter and cheaper. Any Medicare rebate you are eligible for comes off that, as does a private health extras rebate. For our current fees, get in touch — we will tell you the figure and the likely rebate before you book.
Do I need a referral to see an online dietitian?
No. You can book directly with an Accredited Practising Dietitian. A referral is only needed if you want to claim a Medicare rebate, in which case your GP prepares the plan first.
Can an online dietitian help with an eating disorder?
Often, yes, and it is a substantial part of our work — particularly with children, adolescents and young people, where telehealth lets both parents attend and removes the waiting room. The qualification is medical stability: where someone needs regular in-person monitoring, dietetic care should sit within a team that can provide it. We will tell you honestly which situation you are in.
What do I need for the appointment?
A phone, tablet or computer with a camera, and somewhere private to talk. We send a link beforehand and there is nothing to install. If the connection drops we finish by phone, and any plans or resources are emailed afterwards either way.
Is my information private?
Yes. Consultations are not recorded, and your records are held confidentially under Australian privacy law like any health service. We correspond with your GP or other practitioners only with your consent.