COVID-19 has changed many facets of life and the medical profession has not been an exception. Avant Mutual Chair, Dr Beverley Rowbotham, reflects on how doctors handled the unprecedented environment the pandemic has brought.

With over 1,000 calls to our telephone advisory service and nearly 100,000 visits to our FAQs page, it is clear the pandemic has thrown up a lot of difficult situations for members. What have been the pressing issues and how have doctors coped during the crisis?

As we move to the next stage of relaxed social restrictions and the public learns to adapt to new rules and regulations, what does life after COVID-19 look like? Psychiatrist Dr Kym Jenkins discusses the impact of the pandemic on our long-term health and wellbeing.

Technology supports the patient-doctor relationship, with one silver lining to emerge from COVID-19 being telehealth. RACGP President Dr Harry Nespolon and two members share their thoughts and experiences on the wider use of telehealth.

As practices adapt to the changes required to manage telehealth effectively, there are also the legal, medical, and management perspectives to be aware of. Here’s a case that highlights issues both doctors and practice managers need to consider.

Electronic prescribing is the latest development to be fast-tracked by the Department of Health, brought forward from its planned launch in late 2020. How does this complement telehealth, what is the process, and what are the medico-legal risks to be aware of?

After moving on from what is hopefully the worse we’ve seen from COVID-19, testing for the virus will be our biggest tool as we fight to keep infections under control. But what kinds of tests are available, what roles do they play, and what limitations do they present?

Clinical ethics expert Dr Linda Sheahan, stresses the importance of how clinical ethics services can help healthcare professionals during a pandemic, as doctors are faced with complex decisions and grapple with their professional obligations versus regard for their own wellbeing.

As practices learn to adapt to patients’ needs, they’ve also had to come up with innovative solutions to keep up with rapid changes in the industry. We look at different ways of doing things as practices start to re-open and we head into the recovery phase of the pandemic.

Does the reduction in face-to-face consultations and reliance on comprehensive self-reporting compromise diagnosis? Here we look at the potential risks and repercussions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic that doctors should be aware of.

Doctors’ Health Fund CEO, Peter Aroney, discusses the challenges and opportunities presented by COVID-19 for private health insurance. He gives us an insight into how the industry has been impacted, its response to the reduction in elective surgery, and the effect of social distancing on how we engage with health services.

A major global crisis like COVID-19 is bound to leave a mark on our investments, which means now is a good time to reflect on your goals and strategy for the long run. Here are a few things you should consider before proceeding with any investment decisions.