Pramodh Vallabhaneni
Swansea Bay University Health Board
Virtual clinics are now well-established health care delivery options. This, however, is used for scheduled out-patient care. Currently, as far I am aware, virtual clinics are not used for unscheduled consultations. On average, 70% of children are discharged from the assessment unit following a referral from primary care. Considering the pressures on urgent care in hospitals, alternative models need to be tested.
The Project:
Paediatric virtual urgent care- a virtual live consultation with paediatricians for referrals from primary care. The key aim will be to reduce avoidable attendances to the assessment unit.
How this will be achieved:
- Data collection and Evaluation (May-July 22)
Anticipated benefits:
- Patient experience will be crucial to the continuity and improvement of this project. The well-being of children and families are essential components of an ideal society. This idea will help families and children by avoiding disruption and unnecessary travel. They will be virtually assessed by experienced paediatric professionals who have the know-how of recognising sick children.
- This idea uses technology that is now widely available and will not be adding a cost burden. The workforce will be streamlined and used in an efficacious manner. Children and families will benefit from a consultation with an experienced paediatric professional. This will undoubtedly reduce variation and will benefit children and families.
- This project also strengthens co-working between primary and secondary care. For example, evidence-based practice can be shared with colleagues in primary care.
We could learn and evaluate ambulatory care experiences for children and families through this model.
