Dr Hamilton does not accept referrals for medico-legal or court reports, or 3rd party assessments such as insurance or work cover claims. All patients must be aged 17 years or over.
Your first appointment is the beginning........
Dr Hamilton requests that your referral from your General Practitioner is sent prior to making the initial consultation. This is an important step, as it helps ensure that your needs do fall within the areas of her expertise. In the event that her capacity for further new patients has been exceeded, then you will be offered a waitlisted appointment, or advised to return to your referring General Practitioner for further assistance.
The initial appointment is the foundation upon which a thorough assessment of your needs can begin, and it may well require an additional appointment, depending upon the complexity of your situation. The initial session is typically 45 minutes and you may wish to have a support person or family member included in the session. Please mention this request prior to the session. Working together, the aim is to establish a supportive and trusting environment, and to develop a comprehensive assessment and then a management plan. This may also include further assessment of your physical health, as required, although usually the referring General Practitioner provides this background information in the referral.
A psychiatrist must listen carefully, explore the patient's current concerns, and the context of their life experiences, both past and
present, and clarify their previous mental health history and treatments. It is a collaborative approach that will lead to a diagnosis
and understanding of your mental health concerns, and then form anindividualized plan of management.
Dr Hamilton is experienced in recommending treatments that incorporate evidence- based best practice. This may involve prescription medications, their benefits and possible side-effects, and a realistic expectation of what you could expect. The introduction of escripts, sent directly to your mobile phone, allows same day dispensing from your local pharmacy. If preferred, a paper script can be posted to your home, although allowance for delays in postal mail need to be considered. Treatment often requires a form of " talk therapy", and this can help to develop a positive treatment experience. Other forms of therapy commonly needed may include individual psychotherapy, cognitive behaviour therapy, or enhancing problem-solving skills, to name a few.
If ongoing treatment is appropriate, further appointments can be scheduled either during the consultation or at a later date by communicating via email (preferred), or by phone (with voicemail ). Please allow up to 48 hours for a response.
The best time to make future appointments is during the consultation.
A review may then be booked depending upon the patient's needs and
wishes and also as medically required to review progress. It is also
necessary to consider when medication prescriptions will need to be
reviewed and supplied again. Issuing of medication prescriptions must be
done during a consultation and not by email or phone request. Your
General Practitioner may be able to assist with medication prescriptions at other times, however, this is not always possible.
Outside of the consultation, then please contact by email, phone or fax,
mentioning your availability preferences and any other relevant
information. Please allow up to 48 hours response, and in relation to
Consulting days, public holidays and weekends.
Dr Diana Hamilton is an experienced Psychiatrist, exclusively offering telehealth only consultations, using secure video platforms, as well as by telephone. Modern but simplified technology now allows the benefits of Psychiatrist services to reach out to you. These services are offered in accordance with Medicare requirements, thus allowing patients to be eligible for their entitlements through this scheme.
Based in Queensland, this telehealth service is available to current, former and new patients, and extending out to rural and regional Australian centres. This service allows patients to have access to specialist care, so they can commence and continue treatment from the comfort of their own home and local environment.
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