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West Moreton Health has expanded its hospital capacity as part of its response to the COVID-19 outbreak, but we have also considered how we can use existing technology and innovation to provide safe care within the community setting.
Melinda Parcell
Executive director West Moreton Health’s Community and Rural Services
West Moreton Health’s Community and Rural Services executive director Melinda Parcell said the MeCare model of care had been adapted for COVID-19 patients with milder symptoms. “West Moreton Health has expanded its hospital capacity as part of its response to the COVID-19 outbreak, but we have also considered how we can use existing technology and innovation to provide safe care within the community setting. It means people can receive the care they need in the comfort of their own homes and we are also eliminating the risk of transmission in the hospital setting, where other vulnerable people may be receiving care.”
For patients in the lower risk group, and to reduce the number of unnecessary visits to general practitioners and hospitals, Philips recently announced a remote screening and monitoring solution with COVID-19 specific features that facilitate the use of online screening, follow-up questionnaires, remote monitoring, and external call center collaboration to help triage potential COVID-19 cases. While explicitly not a substitute for regular or emergency care, it allows people experiencing symptoms of the disease to complete an online questionnaire at home so they can be automatically placed in a particular risk group. These patients in lower risk groups can then be monitored via automated follow-up surveys, while patients at higher risk can be called by a call center for additional information, and if necessary referred to a general practitioner or hospital.