Introduction
Australia's public hospital emergency departments (EDs) face escalating demand, necessitating strategies to reduce potentially avoidable presentations. This abstract examines Healthdirect Australia's virtual nurse triage and GP services as one of the solutions.
Body
Utilising a digital platform integrating patient data and artificial intelligence, Healthdirect's 24/7 virtual nurse triage and GP helpline offer safe, evidence-based, and high-quality episodic care. We analysed data from November 2024 – January 2025 to assess outcomes of callers with an original intention of going to ED or calling 000.
Of the virtual nurse triage service callers intending to visit ED or call Triple 000 (n=63.047), 39% (n= 24,789) were advised to do so. And 61% (n= 38,258) were provided with self-care advice or referred to lower acuity alternative services, including Afterhours GP services and the GP helpline, Virtual Emergency Departments and Urgent Care services.
Conclusion
Healthdirect's virtual triage and helpline services effectively redirect potentially avoidable ED presentations to more suitable care settings. This highlights the efficacy of the approach in redirecting consumers to community-based services. This innovative model represents a paradigm shift in healthcare delivery, emphasising the role of virtual service delivery models in optimising resource utilisation and improving patient outcomes. By empowering consumers with accessible and expert guidance, potentially avoidable ED visits have been redirected, thereby alleviating strain on emergency services and enhancing overall healthcare efficiency.