Question 1

Booking an appointment

Accepted Answer

Dr Keogh treats privately insured and self-funding patients as well as patients under TAC, WorkCover and Department of Veteran Affairs claims.
 
All patients require a valid referral from their GP or specialist. Please ask your referrer to send this via fax to (‭03) 8548 0362, by email to contact@drpeterkeogh.com.au, or HealthLink to drpkeogh.

Question 2

Does Dr Keogh see patients via Telehealth (video-conference)?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Dr Keogh does have availability to see new referrals and review patients via Telehealth (video-conference). It is highly advisable that if you are a new patient, you are seen face-to-face initially, as a physical examination is usually required and may delay the requesting of specialised tests, a diagnosis or definitive treatment plan.

Telephone appointments are not available.

The cost for new and review appointments via Telehealth are the same as a face-to-face appointments. A Medicare rebate will apply for eligible patients with a valid referral.

Question 3

Is there anything I need to do before my first appointment?

Accepted Answer

Once your referral has been received by Dr Keogh's administrative team, you will be contacted to make an appointment. The team will be able to answer any other administrative questions you may have.
 
Before your first appointment, you will also receive a comprehensive questionnaire about your pain - please take the time to complete this and return to our clinic via email to: contact@drpeterkeogh.com.au, or bring it with you when you attend for the first time. The information contained in the questionnaire is extremely useful to Dr Keogh and will ensure that the maximum amount of time is spent with you discussing your treatment options.
 
Please bring with you, if you have them, any specialists letters, details of any relevant scans or any other relevant documents that you may have.

Question 4

I am a WorkCover, TAC or DVA patient. Is there anything I need to do?

Accepted Answer

All patients including WorkCover, TAC and DVA patients need a valid referral from their GP or specialist to access care.
 
In addition, all WorkCover and TAC patients need an approval letter from their insurer to see a Pain Management Specialist before an appointment will be made. Patients who do not have approval by the time they are seen will be responsible for the full scheduled private consultation fee. Asking your insurer for approval is the responsibility of you and your referrer.
 
All DVA white card holders accessing care also need a valid GP or specialist referral. White card holders must provide documentation in advance of their appointment from the Department of Veteran Affairs that the condition for which they seek care is listed as part of their cover. If you are seeking treatment for a condition not coveted by your DVA White Card, you will be responsible for the full scheduled private consultation fee.

DVA gold card holders require a valid referral from their GP or specialist but do not need pre approval.

Question 5

What should I expect from my first appointment?

Accepted Answer

Dr Keogh is an expert in all types of pain.

You can expect a review of your current pain condition, medications, past treatments, and review of relevant investigations where applicable. You will be offered a diagnosis, unless pending further investigation or opinion, and an initial treatment plan.

Prior to you first appointment, you will be sent a comprehensive pain questionnaire. Please take the time to fill this out as fully as you can and, if possible, send back to the clinic for Dr Keogh to review prior to your appointment. The questionnaire contains a lot of basic information, so that your time in the consultation can be maximised discussing your options and formulating a treatment plan.
 
For further information on what to expect, please see our pain treatments page.

Question 6

Review appointments

Accepted Answer

Most patients will require a review appointment. This may be to assess how well a pain treatment is working, to talk through the results of an investigation or scan or following a pain procedure (injection or medication infusion).
 
The frequency of review will depend on your individual circumstances but are kept to a minimum to avoid unnecessary cost.

Question 7

What is an in-clinic procedure?

Accepted Answer

Dr Keogh may offer a diagnostic and / or treatment (therapeutic) injection as part of your treatment plan and to be performed under local anaesthetic only in his clinic, rather than in a hospital operating theatre setting. This is suitable for a number of more minor or superficial injections.
 
Standard fees apply for all in-clinic procedures and, if you are eligible, a Medicare rebate will apply for most, but not all injections.

For all procedures, you will be given an estimate of costs prior to proceeding.

Question 8

In-hospital procedures and hospital admissions

Accepted Answer

Dr Keogh may recommend a procedure to be performed under sedation or general anaesthetic in an operating theatre in hospital or an in-patient admission to hospital for an infusion of pain-killing medication.
 
The vast majority of operating theatre procedures are conducted as day-cases (with the use of live x-ray screening and / or ultrasound guidance) and where you can go home the same day. It is mandatory that a responsible adult be available to pick you up from your procedure, drive you home and be at home with you for the first post-operative night.

For admissions to hospital for infusions of pain-killing medications, patients are typically required to stay in hospital for between 5-7 days.

Question 9

New and repeat prescriptions

Accepted Answer

Dr Keogh is a private billing doctor and, in general, only private prescriptions are dispensed.

If Dr Keogh recommends a new medication, this will usually be issued at your consultation. This may be with or without repeats depending on the clinical circumstances and Medicare rules.

A recommendation will also be made to your local GP to continue prescribing, if required. It is good medical practice to have all prescribing centralised (ie. your local GP) so that all health care professionals you access care with are kept informed. If you do not have a GP, it is highly recommended that you access one to avoid interruptions to your supply of medications.

Dr Keogh does not hold Schedule 8 (S8) permits for any patients although he is able to offer advise on the use of selected S8 drugs, if used by the patient for pain management purposes.

Dr Keogh is not able to provide repeat prescriptions for medications he has not prescribed or recommended and / or are outside his scope of practice as a specialist pain medicine physician.

It is mandatory for Dr Keogh to routinely check SafeScript (Victoria's online medication reporting system) when seeing patients and / or prescribing medications. Dr Keogh reserves the right to contact other health professionals without permission of the patient in relation to the prescribing or management of medications.

Question 10

Fees

Accepted Answer

Dr Keogh is a private billing doctor.

No appointments or treatments are bulk-billed.

You will be made aware of the costs of your appointment(s), procedure, or hospital admission prior to you attending. Fees issued by hospitals and insurance companies are not calculated by Dr Keogh and are the responsibility of the patient and billing entity.
 
Dr Keogh's fees are estimates and may change as a result of changing clinical assessment.
 
Fees, in full, will be taken remotely on the day of appointment or soon after by VISA or MASTERCARD. No fees will be taken in person at Dr Keogh's rooms. We do not accept cash, cheque or American Express payments. We do not provide credit or split payments.
 
Medicare rebates will be available for eligible patients if you have provided a valid referral from your GP or specialist. GP referrals usually last 12 months (or as specified) and specialist referrals 3 months. It is your responsibility to ensure that whilst accessing care through Dr Keogh's clinic or in hospital, you have a valid referral at all times to receive a Medicare rebate and avoid unnecessary costs.
 
For WorkCover, TAC and some DVA card holders, fees may be covered by your insurer provided you have approval to access care and / or approval for the necessary treatment. Your insurer will usually be billed directly and there will be nothing to pay from your point of view.

Dr Keogh does not charge co-payments for WorkCover, TAC or DVA patients. However, cancellation fees do apply and will be payable by the individual (not insurer) regardless of whether they are a WorkCover, TAC or DVA patient.
 
Please be aware that for privately insured or uninsured patients, there will be an out-of-pocket fee charged for all clinic appointments, procedures and in-patient admissions.
 
Radiology fees: Operating theatre procedures usually involve the use of live x-ray screening. Services rendered will attract a fee, however, there is a Medicare rebate applicable, if you are eligible. The radiographer will contact you after your procedure for payment. If you have any questions regarding this, please contact us.
 
Anaesthetic fees: These are determined by the scheduled anaesthetist. If an out-of-pocket expense is to apply, the anaesthetist will advise you in advance. If you have any questions regarding this, please contact the anaesthetist's rooms directly.
 
Surgical assistant fees: Surgical assistant fees may apply depending on the type of procedure you are having and your level of Private Health Insurance cover. If fees apply, you will receive an invoice after your procedure.

Question 11

Cancellations

Accepted Answer

We understand that people's lives are busy. Please contact us as soon as possible if you need to cancel or re-schedule your appointment or procedure. This helps us offer appointments to others and keep waiting times for everyone to a minimum.
 
Cancellations within 2 business days will incur a cancellation fee of $100, paid by the individual, including WorkCover, TAC and DVA patients.
 
From time-to-time we may need to reschedule your appointment or procedure. We will give as much notice as possible.

Question 12

Does Dr Keogh prescribe medicinal cannabis?

Accepted Answer

Dr Keogh does not prescribe medicinal cannabis. Please see the Australian and New Zealand Faculty of Pain Medicine's statement here, for further information.

Frequently asked questions