Dr Lucia Murnane NIIM Long Covid Clinic
Important information:
Please note that Dr Lucia Murnane is currently only consulting for local patients with long COVID and other COVID related complications. Initial appointments are 1 hour in length and need to be face to face to allow for a more thorough medical assessment as well as to access Medicare rebates (this makes one eligible for Medicare rebates for subsequent telehealth appointments).
Follow up appointments lengths and fees depend on complexity, and can be via telehealth. It is advised that you email to clinic@niim.com.au any prior blood tests, scans, and other relevant medical summaries/documents prior to your appointment for Dr Lucia Murnane to review. Alternatively you can bring in hard copies of results and medical documents on your first appointment.
Background:
Dr Lucia Murnane is a medical doctor with 15 years experience working in a number of different hospitals and General Practice clinics in Australia. In addition to General Practice experience, Dr Murnane developed special interests in infertility and recurrent miscarriage, being a part of holistic Fertility Assessment Clinics (offering a restorative approach) in Melbourne for the last 9 years. Dr Murnane was a founding board member of the Australian Institute of Restorative Reproductive Medicine (AIRRM) in 2015.
Dr Murnane has also undertaken further studies in Nutritional and Environmental Medicine through the Australian College of Nutritional and Environmental Medicine (ACNEM) in a number of different areas of medicine, and finds this approach an integral part of patient management. She actively participates in ongoing professional development in medicine, and is committed to life long learning, along side her patients.
In recent years Dr Murnane has developed a strong interest in the management of acute COVID-19, and its complications, in particular long COVID. She has been a chief investigator in two of NIIM’s COVID-19 trials, involving early treatment of COVID-19, and assessment and management of long COVID.
Dr Murnane is currently only consulting in the area of long COVID and COVID complications. This is due to it being largely an unmet need within the medical community, and cause of significant burden on individuals. She recognises the complex and multi-system facets of long COVID which can be well addressed using an integrative and multidisciplinary chronic disease based model of care, which she is well versed in from prior medical experience.
Special Interests:
- Integrative medicine
- COVID-19
- Women’s health (infertility and recurrent miscarriage)
- Mental health
- Chronic disease management
Qualifications:
- Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS)
- Fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (FRACGP)
- Masters of Reproductive Medicine (UNSW)
- Fertility Care Practitioner training (Creighton University)
- Accredited for Obstetric Shared Care in Melbourne
- Diploma of Child Health
- Diploma of Bioethics
Memberships:
- Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP)
- Australian Institute of Restorative Reproductive Medicine (AIRRM)
Long COVID Clinic FAQs
Who is the Long COVID Clinic for?
The Long COVID Clinic is for patients who are experiencing ongoing symptoms after acquiring COVID-19 infection (more than 1 month post). The clinic also includes patients who have reported Long COVID symptoms after COVID-19 vaccination.
What does the Long COVID Clinic do?
The Long COVID Clinic commences with a 1 hour long initial appointment, to obtain a thorough medical history and perform a physical examination of the heart, lungs, nervous system, and other relevant systems if required.
You will be asked to complete a long patient questionnaire prior to your appointment (please note this may take you a number of sittings to complete), to assist the doctor work out the underlying contributing factors to Long COVID.
After booking in your first appointment please email to clinic@niim.com.au any past blood tests, scans, and other relevant medical summaries/documents prior to your appointment for Dr Lucia Murnane to review. Alternatively, you can bring in hard copies on your first appointment.
The doctor will also review your past investigations and medical history, and will discuss and arrange further investigations that may be of benefit. Some of the investigations are routine ones that are covered by Medicare. Dr Murnane can discuss other investigations not covered by Medicare that are newer emerging tests for Long COVID.
What types of treatments are offered in the Long COVID Clinic?
Treatments are individualised based on what are determined to be the main contributing factors. There are no established drug treatments for Long COVID, so any treatments offered should be considered as investigational. The doctor will discuss the risks and benefits of any potential treatment, and obtain your consent.
If required other allied health and medical specialists will be involved as part of the patient’s management team. If you have existing allied health and medical specialists the Long COVID doctor is happy to work as a team with them to bring you the best outcomes.
What are the types of contributing factors that might be found in the Long COVID Clinic?
There are a large number of contributing factors that can contribute to Long COVID. For different people there will be different contributing factors – this is why such a long and detailed initial assessment is required.
What are the fees for the Long COVID Clinic?
The long COVID Clinic charges private fees. Medicare rebates are available if your initial appointment is face to face (attending face to face initially also allows Medicare rebates for future telehealth appointments).
The first appointment has a higher fee to facilitate the extra time to conduct a thorough assessment, review your past medical history and investigations, arrange further testing, as well as begin to create an individualised management plan, and provide medical education.
The second and subsequent appointments we will review any further investigations, and fine tune your management plan based on your symptoms and investigation findings.
The subsequent appointment fees and Medicare rebates depend on length of time required.
Please call NIIM Clinic to discuss the Long COVID Clinic fees on (03) 9804 0646.
Consultation times, fees and bookings
For details on appointment availability and the schedule of fees please contact the NIIM Clinic Reception on (03) 9804 0646
