Innovative service delivers specialist emergency care straight to home

4 Oct 2024

Jeremy used the My Emergency Doctor service to arrange a consultation for his elderly mother-in-law, Pat.

We have all been there. It’s late at night and you feel rotten. You’re sure you may need to go to the emergency department (ED) but the thought of getting out of bed, getting dressed and facing a busy waiting room for hours on end is just too much. There’s now another option! 

Operated in conjunction with My Emergency Doctor, this 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 general practitioner (GP) isn't available.

By opting for this virtual service, patients are able to avoid the lengthy wait times that often come with in-person ED visits. Instead, they can connect with a doctor quickly, get expert advice and potentially start treatment much faster. If hospital admission is required, a direct pathway to St John of God Berwick Hospital may be organised. Referrals for diagnostic tests such as pathology and radiology, medical specialists and allied health professionals can also be arranged.  

My Emergency Doctor is an emergency telemedicine service which provides access to an Australian qualified emergency specialist doctor 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The service does not require an appointment, and doctors will talk to patients via a phone or web-based video call. 

To access the service, patients pay a $220 fee reimbursable by St John of God Berwick Hospital if the consultation results in direct admission. This is half of the cost of attending other local private emergency departments, with the convenience of being able to access care from home. 

The service commenced in May 2024 and within the first three months a total of 37 calls were received, with 38% of patients being directly admitted to St John of God Berwick Hospital. The average patient age was 55 years, with a range between two to 89 years. Demonstrating that age is no barrier to utilising technology, 27% of patients were 75 years and older. Pain was the most common presenting complaint, in particular back pain.

The response from both GPs and patients has been extremely positive. St John of God Berwick Hospital CEO, Lisa Norman says that GPs recognise 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 who was impressed by the process in providing access to urgent care for her patient. 

For many patients, avoiding a public emergency department when possible is highly desirable. This has been the case with multiple patients undergoing chemotherapy. When facing issues post-treatment, they have been able to connect with My Emergency Doctor and arrange direct admission to the hospital. This eliminated the need to wait in an ED and the risk of exposure for these immunocompromised patients. Bypassing the emergency department waiting room can also be important for people who find attending an ED stressful or triggering.

Patient feedback has been positive. 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. She lives in an aged care facility and is very frail. It’s extremely difficult to get her into the car for medical appointments, let alone wait in an ED,” he said.

“We connected with My Emergency Doctor via Pat’s iPad while she rested in bed 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.”  

St John of God Health Care's Virtual Care Strategy recognised issues for private patients seeking easier access to private health care services without a GP or public emergency department doctor referral. The initiative is one of the first steps in providing better navigation into the private health care system for patients. 

To learn more or access My Emergency Doctor: www.sjog.org.au/berwickonlinedoctor