Two Victorian Virtual Emergency Department (VVED) pods have been implemented in the Northern Hospital Emergency Department, to help streamline access to care for patients presenting with non-life-threatening emergencies.

There are two pods available, each similar to an old-school telephone box, that can be used simultaneously by eligible patients presenting to the physical emergency department. Completely soundproof, patients can receive a full video consultation and assessment in the privacy and comfort of the space.

Patients are assessed by VVED clinicians and advised of the appropriate next steps of care, which may be provided at alternate care providers instead of in the physical emergency department.

“These pods are yet another way Northern Health is providing care and alternate pathways for our community. They are helping us to treat and assess patients who present to the emergency department more appropriately and efficiently,” said Laura Hughes, Project Manager.

“When we ran a recent trial, we saw hundreds of patients use the service effectively, many who were able to leave the physical emergency department sooner and continue to improve and recover at their home.”

“Currently, there are between four and five patients using the pods daily. This number can vary, as the team is continuing to improve the process of triaging patients to the pods, but we hope this number will increase to at least 15 uses per day,” said Hannah Downie, Nurse Unit Manager, Emergency Department.

“Most patients that would be redirected to the pods would be classified as Category 4 or Category 5 patients. The current wait times for these patients to see a clinician and wait in the waiting room is between 90-120 minutes on average, although this could be longer, depending on the time of day. The VVED team are working towards patients being seen in the pods within 20 minutes,” Ms Downie said.

“The VVED pods are another example of how Northern Health is continuing to improve the timeliness of the care we provide for the community. The virtual emergency and physical emergency teams are working collaboratively to provide the most appropriate care, in the most appropriate setting,” said Ms Hughes.

VVED pods are also available at Austin Hospital and Sunshine Hospital, and an expansion of these services into more regional and metro areas is planned for the coming months.

Pictured: Hannah Downie, Nurse Unit Manager, Emergency Department.