OAKVILLE, ONTARIO, CANADA, May 18, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- During the pandemic, Lakeridge Health launched an emergency department virtual care pilot to better assess, triage and direct patients to the proper care, eliminating unnecessary ER visits. The automated triage system directs patients to either an in-person emergency department or to their primary health provider in the community, then sends the assigned health provider an email or SMS notification. The goal of the pilot was to create a more cost-effective and sustainable form of urgent healthcare, and today, with Durham Region’s primary care community jumping on board, growing interest from Ontario hospitals and the support of The Ontario Ministry of Health, that pilot has become Ontario’s first-ever collaborative acute-care virtual urgent care clinic (VUCC).

Connectivity is key to the success of the VUCC, and the vital component for that connectivity is Health Espresso.

Certified by the Ontario Telehealth Network (OTN) and powered by artificial intelligence, Health Espresso’s easy-to-use mobile and web-based integrative digital solution provides a complete digital blueprint of a patient’s overall health and history, real-time vitals data, recorded notes from previous hospital visits, administered medication and more for timely, well-informed decision making by hospitals. Unlike many standalone solutions, Health Espresso’s unique broad view of a patient’s journey ensures that all Durham Region’s healthcare teams have access to the same information. With access to patient records, high-quality imaging and analysis tools and built-in messaging and video for live, secure communication between physicians and patients, Health Espresso provides vital digital integration that benefits not only VUCC for triaging patients but also for health care providers to deliver comprehensive virtual care — especially for patients with mobility issues or living in remote or Indigenous communities.

“The Health Espresso platform is a key component for the Ontario Health-funded VUCC (Urgent Care Durham) project.” says Dr. Lubna Tirmizi, primary care lead for the Durham Ontario Health Team and Chief Medical Officer for Health Espresso, “As we are at a pivotal time in healthcare recovery, solutions like Health Espresso enables providers to efficiently use technology to deliver timely care in the right place. Health Espresso helps the VUCC register and triage patients away from the Emergency Room if their care is better delivered in the community. Furthermore, there are ongoing efforts to expand and customize the Health Espresso platform to help the VUCC expand beyond Durham Region and cover more clinical specialties like wound care, mental health and addictions.”

As of March 31st, 2022, Ontario Health has provided additional funding for the VUCC and is actively working with Lakeridge Health and Urgent Care Durham to broaden its scope.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Melissa Nowakowski, Communications Specialist
mnowakowski@sparkcentre.org
416-885-2497

Melissa Nowakowski
Spark Centre
+1 416-885-2497
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