A website that issues Australians with sick notes from doctors for $19.99 has been condemned by the countryโs peak medical association.
In a new marketing push, Dr Sicknote is targeting the nationโs 5.5 million carers with a โconvenient and accessibleโ way of getting a medical certificate to take time off work without having to go to their GP.
However, the Australian Medical Association believes the online service is risky and ripe for exploitation, raising ethical and legal issues.
โIt really surprises me that an employer would accept [a certificate from] Dr Sicknote as a legal document because thereโs no treating relationship there,โ says the AMAโs Dr Brian Morton.
Customers of Dr Sicknote fill in an online form, talk to a company doctor over Skype and quickly receive a medical certificate by email. The service is aimed at covering โminor or routine ailmentsโ such as colds and flu, nausea, gastroenteritis and viruses.
According to a Dr Sicknote media release issued yesterday, โhaving to obtain a medical certificate is an unnecessary burden [for carers] when they should be focusing on their loved one.โ
But Dr Morton says carers should only get medical certificates from the doctor treating the person they are caring for.
โThe patient has to give permission [for their doctor to use their medical details to authorize carerโs leave] from a privacy point of view,โ he says.
While Skype appointments can be a useful tool for consultations, they should be conducted by a patientโs usual GP who is familiar with their medical history and character, Dr Morton says.
He warns the veracity of medical certificates can be challenged by health care regulators.
Medicare does not cover the $19.99 charge for a Dr Sicknote certificate.
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