As people rely on technology for daily activities, a stable internet connection has become an essential part of everyone's lives.

This is especially true for healthcare professionals who provide essential services through telehealth consultations.

Unfortunately, a psychologist's experience with her telco provider showed that even the most necessary services can be disrupted by poor connectivity and could lead to devastating results.

Melbourne-based psychologist Leah Dodsworth found herself in a dire situation when her internet service started failing during critical telehealth sessions.

Ms Dodsworth, who specialised in trauma and often dealt with workers at risk of suicide, saw her work as life-saving.

Her internet connection, provided by Optus, was a necessity for her line of work.

Ms Dodsworth offers essential psychological services through online platforms. Image Credit: Pexels/Kaboompics.com

The trouble began in late October when Ms Dodsworth received warnings of 'low bandwidth' and 'unstable network connection' during her video calls with patients.

The said connectivity issues persisted and disrupted every therapy session and froze up her screen up to six times in an hour.

'I had no choice but to cancel a high number of patient sessions, not only significantly disrupting their access to treatment but also at an enormous financial cost due to the loss of income,' Ms Dodsworth lamented.

According to her, her losses amounted to $14,000 over five weeks.

Ms Dodsworth's attempts to resolve the issue with Optus turned into an ordeal that lasted months.

Despite reaching out to Optus, the response she received was far from satisfactory.

She only received basic troubleshooting steps and ended up purchasing a new laptop in the hope of resolving the issue—both of which to no avail.

Communication with Optus was fraught with missed calls and unfulfilled promises.

Ms Dodsworth's complaint has also been assigned to Optus case managers, who often failed to call back about her situation.

This lack of reliable communication not only prolonged the resolution but also added to her stress.

Optus's handling of the situation was less than ideal.

Ms Dodsworth felt 'gaslit' when Optus informed her that the issues were due to NBN or weather events.

After enduring dismissive customer service and inadequate solutions, Ms Dodsworth ended her contract with Optus.

'I do not sit on Zoom meetings or do data entry, but treat psychologically unwell patients,' she stated.

'Optus was literally endangering lives. Our second largest telco did not care about these people.'

Optus offered compensation for the inconvenience; however, it was far from covering her losses, both financial and emotional.

Ms Dodsworth already complained to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman and switched to a different provider.

With this, her story should be a cautionary tale for everyone who depended on internet services for their livelihood.

So, how can you protect yourself from a similar ordeal?

• Document everything: Keep a detailed record of all your interactions with your service provider, including dates, times, and the content of conversations.
• Know your rights: Know the terms of your contract and the guarantees offered by your provider. The Telecommunications Consumer Protections (TCP) Code provides a framework for consumers' rights.
• Seek help: If you're experiencing ongoing issues, contact your service provider immediately. If the problem persists, don't hesitate to escalate the matter to a manager or supervisor.
• Use external resources: The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) has resources when you can't resolve an issue directly with your provider.
• Consider a backup connection: If your work is heavily reliant on internet connectivity, it may be worth investing in a backup internet solution to ensure continuity during outages.

Ms Dodsworth's experience was a stark reminder of the potential consequences of unreliable internet service.

Key Takeaways

• Leah Dodsworth, a Melbourne-based psychologist, had a long ordeal with Optus after experiencing multiple internet failures during critical telehealth sessions.
• Ms Dodsworth, who specialises in trauma therapy for emergency service workers, faced significant disruptions and financial losses over five weeks due to internet issues.
• Despite repeated contact and troubleshooting attempts with Optus, the connectivity problems persisted, leading to additional expenses and stress.
• Ms Dodsworth already complained with the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman and switched her internet service providers.

Have you faced similar challenges with your internet provider? Share your experiences and how you resolved them in the comments section—your stories and tips could help a fellow reader in need.

 

[Mr Chips]

Something sounds a bit wrong here, she says that she was with the "second biggest provider" so as a health professional why did she not choose the biggest provider in the first place or was that a little more pricey?

 

[Phantom55]

im quite sure shrinks can afford top line internet services (a little more expensive than the regular service) govt and businesses etc seem to run ok and my shrink charges $400 per session and my heart doesn't bleed. if she has to pay for top internet services,

 

[Penny4]

Let's face it. Hardly anyone had internet issues before NBN. What a debacle it's turned out to be.

 

[Catherines]

Perhaps it would be a very simple thing to refer to these professionals by their actual medical titles - not shrinks. They don’t shrink your brain and how to cope with things, they actually attempt to expand it in ways that give us the capabilities to use our brains in a better way of thinking and acting which expands our brains activity levels. To me ‘shrink’ may be a common term but it comes across as demeaning. So try and be a bit more respectful.

 

[Jill57]

Why choose Optus they have had quite a few problems, we are with Telstra and no problems what so ever

 

[Viellarde]

Perhaps it would be a very simple thing to refer to these professionals by their actual medical titles - not shrinks. They don’t shrink your brain and how to cope with things, they actually attempt to expand it in ways that give us the capabilities to use our brains in a better way of thinking and acting which expands our brains activity levels. To me ‘shrink’ may be a common term but it comes across as demeaning. So try and be a bit more respectful.

Agree.

 

[Smithsd]

I am also a psychologist who does telehealth in a regional area. I used to have reliable internet connectivity delivered by Telstra and an ADSL line, but when Telstra opted out of servicing the copper network I had to look elsewhere. I had four different providers come out who could not provide a service because they could not get a line of sight to the Telstra mobile tower. Ended up having to get NBN via a satellite service. As this is a metered service I also sometimes have connectivity problems. Now Starlink is available many people in the area where I live are now opting for this service. Sometimes people do not have a choice when it comes to selecting a service provider.

 

[DLHM]

Let's face it. Hardly anyone had internet issues before NBN. What a debacle it's turned out to be.

Yes! Spot on! From day one I noticed slower internet speed and frequent dropping out. Often have to reset my modem, despite NBN being being touted as a modern miracle.

 

[Clancieblue]

im quite sure shrinks can afford top line internet services (a little more expensive than the regular service) govt and businesses etc seem to run ok and my shrink charges $400 per session and my heart doesn't bleed. if she has to pay for top internet services,

She is a psychologist not a psychiatrist. She may be working from home and not as rich as you assume.

 

[Penny4]

She is a psychologist not a psychiatrist. She may be working from home and not as rich as you assume.

That's correct, they can't write out prescriptions like Psychiatrists who are medical doctors.

 

[Veggiepatch]

The newsletter reads:-

• A DOCTOR who lost $14,000 is accusing this telco giant of 'endangering lives'—but how?

A psychologist IS NOT A DOCTOR!

FMD!