Online Telehealth Dietitian Consultations: The Future of Nutrition Support Part 1
Since COVID-19, telehealth has become a popular alternative to face-to-face consultations, offering a convenient way to receive healthcare remotely. For people seeking nutrition advice and support, online consultations with one of our Accredited Practising Dietitians at Dietwise, can be an effective and practical option for many. As a private practice of dietitians based in Perth, we are committed to providing accessible nutrition care to all. This blog explains the many benefits of telehealth dietitian consultations with Dietwise, particularly for those who experience health or mobility challenges and differences in sensory processing, communication, executive functioning and emotional regulation.
What is a telehealth dietitian consultation?
Telehealth is like having a face-to-face consultation but uses an internet connection for a video consultation using a smartphone, iPad, tablet or desktop computer to communicate with your Accredited Practising Dietitian remotely. Telehealth can also be delivered as a phone call and provide the opportunity to discuss your dietary needs, receive personalized nutrition advice, and access ongoing education and support from the comfort of your home, office or even car, without the need for face-to-face appointments.
The process is much like a traditional face-to-face consultation, where your Accredited Practising Dietitian will review your eating habits and behaviour, physical activity, medical history, family history, medications, blood work and any other medical monitoring, tests or investigations. However, the convenience of telehealth means that all of this is done remotely, making it more accessible to a wider range of people, such as those in rural and remote areas, as well as people living interstate or overseas. It’s important to note, however, that rebates under private health insurance or Medicare cannot be claimed for overseas clients.
6 key benefits of online dietitian consultations
More convenient, flexible and accessible
One of the most significant advantages of telehealth dietitian consultations is the convenience and accessibility it offers. The flexibility means you can access our specialised services from wherever you are, at a time convenient to your daily routine and work schedule. This is particularly helpful for those with executive functioning challenges, allowing appointments to be scheduled when you feel most capable of engaging. It is like having a virtual home visit where the Dietitian comes to you. By offering the flexibility to combine in-person and online sessions, Dietwise ensures our clients receive care that matches their work schedule, family life and capacity. If you’re running late for your face-to-face appointment, have a cold and are worried about getting others sick or are just too tired to drive, don’t stress. We offer the flexibility to swap to a telehealth appointment.
If you live locally, telehealth allows you to access expert nutritional guidance without having to leave your home, saving time, money and physical effort. This is especially useful for those who struggle with the burden of attending multiple appointments in a week, either for themselves, their partner, aging parents or children. Additionally, telehealth allows Dietwise to provide nutrition services to interstate and international clients, which is helpful if continuity of care is required if you relocate or go away for work e.g. FIFO, study or go away on holidays.
Increased access to specialist dietitians
For people living in rural or remote areas where access to specialist dietitians might be more limited, telehealth overcomes this barrier, providing a broader range of expertise at your fingertips, regardless of where you live. Telehealth makes it easier to connect with Accredited Practising Dietitians who specialize in more complex areas such as gut issues, eating disorders (Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, Binge Eating Disorder or ARFID), Autism and ADHD. In addition, if you live in rural areas or some capital cities where waitlists can be long, telehealth is a great solution for accessing support in a timely fashion.
No travel or waiting time
For individuals with health or mobility challenges, telehealth removes the barrier of traveling to a clinic, which can often be overwhelming and physically tiring. In addition, for people with neurodivergence such as ADHD or Autism, executive function challenges can make scheduling and planning travel for in-person appointments a daunting task. Getting to appointments on time and dealing with the additional stress of traffic, parking, and waiting in the clinic can be very overwhelming. With online dietitian consultations, there’s no need for travel or waiting rooms. You can simply log in from your preferred location at the scheduled time. This eliminates the additional stressors that may interfere with your ability to focus during your consultation.
Increased comfort, safety and privacy
Privacy and comfort are essential for people dealing with mental health challenges, trauma or sensory processing differences. For some people, the stress of discussing personal health concerns face-to-face in an unfamiliar environment can exacerbate feelings of anxiety and overwhelm. Telehealth consultations allow for a higher level of privacy, and less vulnerability, which can help you feel more comfortable discussing sensitive topics such as disordered eating disorders, body image concerns, food aversions, trauma or mental health concerns. A familiar environment can help foster trust, openness, safety and better emotional regulation, improving therapeutic engagement with your dietitian.
Reduced stress and anxiety
Sadly, we come across many clients who have experienced medical trauma in traditional clinic or hospital settings. As a result, the anxiety of navigating a new environment can be extremely triggering and challenging. Telehealth in the home offers a safe, familiar environment, which can reduce anxiety for these people as well as those with social anxiety or neurodivergence such as OCD, Autism or ADHD.
Better support for sensory processing differences
We understand that sensory overwhelm is a common challenge for some people, where heightened sensitivity to sensory stimuli can lead to anxiety, stress, overwhelm and difficulty focusing. Crowded waiting rooms, bright lights, loud noises, smell of perfumes or cleaning products and the general bustle of an in-person visit can trigger heightened sensory sensitivities. Online consultations eliminate the need to navigate these environments, making it easier for clients with sensory overwhelm to receive the help they need in a comfortable, safe and familiar space. In addition, it is not uncommon for some people to find it very challenging to ask their dietitian for specific accommodations that cultivate sensory safety.
Telehealth, offers the unique advantage of being able to customise your environment to better suit your sensory needs, enhancing your ability to engage in consultations. Here’s how you can adapt to various sensory triggers to create a more comfortable and productive telehealth experience:
Visual triggers
Lighting can be adjusted to a level that feels most comfortable, avoiding harsh, flickering or bright lights that may cause strain or overstimulation. You can also choose a simple, uncluttered room for your telehealth session to minimize distractions and visual stress or even sit outside.
Smell triggers
Being in a familiar and controlled space allows you to regulate scents, odours or perfumes that may impact focus or comfort. You can use your favourite calming essential oils in the room to promote a calm and relaxed atmosphere during sessions.
Touch triggers
At home, you can avoid close contact with other people, avoid confined spaces such as a lift and wear clothing that feels most comfortable. This physical comfort can support your capacity to relax and focus without any triggering sensory discomforts. Telehealth also means you can easily access the support of your favourite fidget toys, pet, heat pack, favourite chair, couch, wiggle cushion, therapy pod, floor and weighted blanket or vest.
Sound triggers
It is much easier to control the volume and type of sounds in your home environment. Whether it’s using noise-cancelling headphones, loops or adjusting background noise, reducing auditory distractions can help create an atmosphere that helps you stay regulated and concentrate.
Room temperature
Telehealth allows the flexibility to regulate room temperature to suit your preference, which can be more challenging in a clinic setting.
Preferred communication style
Telehealth scheduled at the right time, can offer more accessibility to involve a support person or pet in sessions. In addition, video consultations also allow for more direct communication, making it easier to express needs and preferences clearly. It also offers the flexibility to have the camera off for video calls if eye contact is challenging.
Telehealth dietitian consultations provide a convenient, accessible and flexible option to receive personalized nutrition support. By eliminating the stressors associated with in-person visits, especially for those who experience sensory overload, telehealth can be an ideal solution for busy people as well as those with neurodivergence such as trauma, OCD, Autism and ADHD. Additionally, the accessibility of telehealth services makes it equally suitable for people living in both rural and metropolitan locations, ensuring that no one is left behind in accessing high-quality nutrition care. As Accredited Practising Dietitians committed to providing accessible and compassionate care, we believe telehealth is a positive step toward making nutrition support available to everyone, no matter their sensory needs or where they live.
If telehealth is an option you haven’t considered, reach out to one of our Care Coordinators to answer any questions you may have, or to discuss if it is a good fit for you. Eryn Richards, one of very experienced dietitians, exclusively offers telehealth consultations on Thursdays and shortly, every second Saturday morning. All of our other dietitians are also available for telehealth consultations with appointments available weekdays from 9am to 6pm and Saturday mornings from 8am to 1pm.
Written by:
Principal Accredited Practising Dietitian & Credentialed Eating Disorder Clinician