St John of God Berwick Hospital (SJGBH) is running a new service putting patients in touch with specialist emergency doctors without leaving home.
Operated in conjunction with online emergency service My Emergency Doctor, the telehealth service is designed to help individuals facing urgent, but non-life-threatening medical concerns, especially when a visit to the ED seems like the next step and their regular GP was not available.
If hospital admission was required, a direct pathway to SJGBH may be organised, with referrals for diagnostic tests such as pathology and radiology, medical specialists and allied health professionals also able to be arranged.
My Emergency Doctor is an emergency telemedicine service providing access to an Australian qualified emergency specialist doctor 24 hours a day and seven days a week.
To access the service, patients pay a $220 fee reimbursable by SJGBH if the consultation results in direct admission, which is half of the cost of attending other local private emergency departments.
Within the first three months after commencing in May, a total of 37 calls were received, with 38 per cent of patients being directly admitted to SJGBH.
The average patient age was 55 years, with 27 per cent of patients 75 years and older.
Pain was the most common presenting complaint, in particular back pain.
The response from both general practitioners (GPs) and patients has been extremely positive SJGBH chief executive Lisa Norman said the response from both GPs and patients had been extremely positive, with GPs recognising the value of the service in ensuring their patients can access care out of surgery hours.
The first patient to utilise the service was recommended by a local GP.
For many patients, avoiding a public emergency department when possible is highly desirable, including patients undergoing chemotherapy or those who find attending an ED stressful or triggering.
Jeremy Stork used the My Emergency Doctor service to arrange a consultation for his elderly mother-in-law Pat.
“Pat had terrible swelling in her legs and was in a lot of pain,” he said.
“It’s extremely difficult to get her into the car for medical appointments, let alone wait in an ED.
“We connected with My Emergency Doctor via Pat’s iPad while she rested and talked with a doctor who was able to assess her and arrange direct admission to the hospital that night.
“It was a real game-changer for us and meant Pat began treatment much sooner.”
The initiative is one of a number of a initiatives undertaken as part of the St John of God Health Care’s Virtual Care Strategy, which recognises issues for private patients seeking easier access to private health care services without a GP or public emergency department doctor referral.
To learn more or access My Emergency Doctor, visit www.sjog.org.au/berwickonlinedoctor
