Qoctor Review

Qoctor offers virtual GP services, including bulk-billed mental health plans, a pharmacy concierge service, and a 15-minute priority service. Established in 2016 by a team of GPs, the Qoctor telehealth site’s focus is on delivering an online general practice experience at a low cost. 

Pros:

1. Started by a team of GPs, this site delivers comprehensive online doctor services comparable to premium sites like PrimeMedic and is ranked highly by users on Trustpilot [1]. 

2. Qoctor has a focus on some lesser-known services such as bulk-billed mental health plans (like Hola Health) and child allergy, asthma, and anaphylaxis plans, making it very convenient for remotely living or busy Australians and offering free or low-cost services not available on some other sites such as Updoc.  

3. Qoctor has a focus on making its service confidential and keeping your data safe, with no opt-out necessary from marketing material or sharing with non-essential partners like on other sites such as Updoc. 

Cons: 

1. The website’s navigation feels outdated and clunky. Some services are highlighted in several places, while others require you to Google search the site or click repeatedly 

2. There is no app available, making it less appealing for mobile-focused users. Apps tend to be available on most comparable telehealth sites, such as HelloGP or DoctorsOnDemand.

3. Some of the information on the site has not been updated since the height of COVID-19. 

Qoctor Australia’s services can be summarized as a comprehensive online GP practice that offers a range of services not available on more basic sites, such as HootHealth. Qoctor has a more extensive focus on specific services, such as mental health and allergy/asthma plans for children, than similar GP-like service sites, such as PrimeMedic [1]. Qoctor’s services include: 

Online Prescriptions: E-Scripts/ Prescriptions cost $24.99 to $49.99 and can be sent to phone, via post, or to the pharmacy directly. The Pharmacy Concierge Service incurs an additional $8.99 charge. Standard Delivery costs $11.99 (5-7 business days), and Express Delivery costs $14.99 (depending on the order time, 1-2 business days). This makes it significantly slower than other sites, such as Hola Health. 

Blood Test Referrals: Pathology/blood test referrals cost between $39.99 and $42.99, depending on service, and are also sent immediately post consultation. This service cost falls within the mid-range of telehealth providers but is cheaper than some more comprehensive providers, such as PocketDoctors. 

Doctor Appointments: GP appointments for adults only cost $49.99 (within two hours or priority service within 15 minutes, 9 am to 9 pm weekdays only). This is significantly cheaper than, for example, Pocket Doctors, but does not allow you to select your specific doctor. 

Cardiovascular Treatment: Asthma, anaphylaxis, and allergy action plans for children cost $31.99 to $36.99, and the plan is available immediately. An appointment within a few hours or the next morning if booking late in the day.  This is a unique offering, and only a few competitors, such as InstantScripts  and Updoc, offer child-specific appointments. 

Mental Health Plans: Bulk-billed mental health care plans for 10 sessions, and the first appointment/ assessment is also free. This is significantly cheaper than specialised providers like GP2U. The actual plan session delivery is via recommended bulk-billing providers. 

Medical Certificate: Medical certificates available from $14.99 for same day, single-day, $25.99 for multi-day, including backdated, provided post telehealth consultation with AHPRA- registered doctor, which puts it below most competitors like MyTelehealthClinic. 

Specialist Referral: Specialist referrals, including repeat specialist referral letters, change of specialist referral letters, and child referral letters, all cost S25.99 and are sent immediately post consultation, which makes Qoctor both faster and significantly cheaper than comparable sites like HelloGP. 

Competitively Priced and Fast Qoctor’s Own Services 

Qoctor offers a range of free and bulk-billed services, including extensive after-hour care and mental health support. Given its wide range of services, speed, and dedication to GP-like service quality, its prices are competitive compared to similar telehealth providers (details below). The exception is its medication delivery, where it lags behind competitors in terms of cost and speed. 

• Qoctor has one 15-minute priority queue for all telehealth services during working hours between 9 am and 9 pm, which costs $20 plus the relevant service fee and places it amongst the speediest virtual health sites offering such services, such as HelloGP and HolaHealth. 
• All services related to doctor’s consultations are delivered to patients straight after the appointment at no surcharge, which makes Qoctor more reliable and faster on e-Scripts, referral letters, medical certificates, and action plans than other services such as Updoc. 
• Some other services like 13Sick also offer Medicare bulk-billed sessions after hours, but as Qoctor’s opening hours are a bit shorter, this means access to Medicare bulk-billed care all day Sunday and after noon Sat as well as before 8 am and post 6 pm weekdays.  
• Mental Health Assessments are free, and Mental Health Plans can be referred to bulk-billing online psychologists. There is no priority queue available, but Qoctor states that same-day service is available. 
• Medication delivery is slower even on Express Service than comparable providers and also more expensive than providers like Hola Health. 
• Customer support via live chat responds within 1 hour at most. This is significantly slower and has fewer support options than its direct competitor, PrimeMedic. 

Overall, users found Qoctor efficient and fast, giving it 4.5 stars on Trustpilot [1] and, across a smaller sample, approximately two-thirds of positive reviews on ProductReview [2] .

Outdated and Clunky Site, Yet Transparent

• Navigation: It’s not an intuitive design and feels clunky, compared to similar sites such as HelloGP and Prime Medic, which have sleek and app-like navigation. It also missed a navigate-by-symptom section, which many premium sites, such as PrimeMedic, offer. Once you wrap your head around the slightly unconventional layout (the site is not just for patients but also for pharmacies and companies), information is mostly easy to find, and most of it is available via different avenues. Some options are hard to find, such as the pharmacy concierge service. 
• Clarity: The site has helpful and very concise descriptions and additional articles focused on patients’ needs. It appears that at least some sections have not been updated since the pandemic, as they still contain comments such as this on the site: “Please note COVID-19 restrictions may impact Australia Post timelines.” 
• Process Simplicity: Setting up a profile and registering is pretty swift. What it lacks in fancifulness, it makes up for in straightforwardness, at least for the most common search queries. 
• Speed & Accessibility: The $20 extra to join the priority queue for 15-minute service (only 9-9 on weekdays) is an exceptional option and applies to all services. Certificates, plans, referrals, and e-Scripts are also immediately available post-consult. On weekends and after hours AEST, speed drops significantly.  Customer support via live chat within 1 hour plus email option is great, but they are somewhat hidden away in different sections, and the live chat fails to pop up like it does on PrimeMedic. 
• Overall Experience: The site feels a bit outdated, and the user interface is not very sleek but mostly easy to navigate. Less information heavy, although some services aren’t available in the top menu, and the FAQs don’t answer all questions.  

Clearly Outlined Privacy Policy at Core

The team at Qoctor clearly outlines their privacy policy and data handling on their website. It’s a simple explanation that also empowers the user to contact the service if they need additional information, want access to their data or have privacy concerns.  

Established by a team of GPs, Qoctor applies the same rigour as you would expect from a general practice. Staff and contractors alike sign confidentiality agreements. Data can only be used for the intended service (not for marketing purposes) and is not shared with partners or insurance companies, except for treatment purposes or as required by law.  

Qoctor states the site uses multiple levels of security to prevent breaches, including that all “files are password-protected on several levels”.  

Limited Help Options but Responsive Service 

Qoctor can be reached via live chat and email, and typically responds immediately, endeavouring to respond within one hour during 8:30 am to 9:00 pm AEST. (Their support team is based in Melbourne.) While no call-in option is listed on their site, Healthdirect [3] lists the business number so you can also potentially try speed up the process by calling the above-listed Melbourne number. There is also an email address listed on the site, although this is usually reserved for media enquiries. 

While the customer service receives good user reviews on Trustpilot [1], a smaller sample of users on ProductReview [2] is split, with approximately 1/3 of the reviews being negative and 2/3 positive.  

There appears to be a trend towards an improved customer service experience, and some user experiences may need to be discounted due to potential issues on the user’s end. 

High Quality Service at Reasonable Cost 

Qoctor offers a broad range of services not available on some other telehealth sites. This includes some free and bulk-billed services. Mental health and child allergy and asthma support are stand-outs.  

Qoctor has a priority option for most services. Customers rank the consultation quality highly, and most costs sit slightly below those of competitors.  

Qoctor’s website is lower in functionality and clarity compared to its competitors, and the service does not offer any apps.  

Customer support options are limited, but most users report that they resolve most issues swiftly and efficiently.

Our team has independently checked all information and represents the most up-to-date data available at the time of posting. Please always conduct thorough research and verify costs and other factors before paying for a service. 

For personalized healthcare, please get in touch with your primary healthcare provider. Telehealth should always be used in conjunction with your GP.  

[1] https://au.trustpilot.com/review/qoctor.com.au 

[2] https://www.productreview.com.au/listings/qoctor 

[3] https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/australian-health-services/healthcare-service/derby-6728-wa/qoctor/gp-general-practice/e787f9a1-99bf-4e3b-94cf-6984bfd89a00