healthdirect Virtual GP pathway reduces avoidable ED visits
Published: 14 September 2024
Two thirds of calls to the healthdirect helpline are made outside normal clinic hours — often by worried parents or carers of young children. Callers speak to a registered triage nurse who asks them a series of questions to determine the most appropriate healthcare pathway for their needs.
Nurses provide callers with recommended care pathways, including ED, virtual ED, emergency care, GP care, Virtual GP and self-care. The combination of these care pathways helps to redistribute demand more evenly and appropriately across the health system, and the after hours GP helpline (or Virtual GP) consultation in particular helps people who previously thought they needed to visit ED to safely and conveniently stay home.
The Virtual GP care pathway is available across Australia, and is 24/7 in South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales.
In these states, if the caller needs a GP, the nurse will first ask if they have a regular GP and suggest they make an appointment. If they do not have a regular GP, the nurse will search the National Health Services Directory for the nearest GP service, but if none are available within the time required, they can refer them to a Virtual GP for an audio or video telehealth consultation.
Healthdirect Medical Directors Dr Darran Foo and Dr Todd Miller explained how healthdirect and the Virtual GP care pathway is benefiting the health system and consumers in a presentation at the Health Innovation Community 2024 Conference in August. Their presentation was shortlisted for the event’s best clinical abstract award.
Virtual GP benefits the health system
By connecting eligible callers to an audio or video telehealth consultation with a healthdirect Virtual GP when no regular GP service is available, healthdirect reduces avoidable visits to hospital emergency departments.
Three quarters of Virtual GP patients are advised by the GP that they can safely manage their health concern in the comfort of their own home.
Healthdirect Medical Director, Dr Miller, says, "Following triage on the helpline, nurses are able to escalate the caller to a Virtual GP consultation, where this is clinically appropriate. We see following that consultation that consumers are either provided the treatment that they need or are reassured that they don’t need to seek further immediate or urgent care."
'Effectively we are able to de-escalate the callers perceived level of urgency' — which is one of the key roles we play in the system," says Dr Miller.
Dr Todd Miller and Dr Darran Foo speaking to Talking HealthTech after their Health Innovation Community 2024 conference presentation
It is this de-escalation that underlies one of the key benefits that the healthdirect helpline provides to our stretched healthcare system, connecting concerned consumers to the right care, first time.
Supporting continuity of care
In 2024, e-prescribing was introduced to the Virtual GP pathway, allowing eligible callers to obtain a prescription if needed. GPs can provide callers with the e-prescription via SMS which is fulfilled using a QR code the following day. The GPs also upload prescriptions, medical certificates and a call summary to the caller’s My Health Record so it is available to their regular GP.
Last reviewed: October 2024