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Alberta ERs Get Virtual Lifeline for Kids
28 May
Summary
- Virtual MD, embedded in Health Link, aids over 150,000 Albertans.
- Program expands in June to offer pediatric emergency physician support.
- Newborn care will be added to the service this summer.
Alberta's Virtual MD program, an initiative integrated within Health Link, is enhancing its services to better support children and infants, thereby alleviating strain on emergency rooms.
The program, operational since 2022, has to date served more than 150,000 Albertans. Patients calling 811 are triaged by clinical staff and may be connected with one of the program's over 80 family physicians via phone or video.
Starting in June, Virtual MD will introduce specialized support for children through eight pediatric emergency physicians. Further expansion is scheduled for the summer to include care for newborns up to three months old, a demographic currently excluded.
This expansion aims to equip physicians to identify critical issues in newborns quickly and provide guidance to parents, potentially allowing infants to receive care at home rather than requiring an emergency department visit.
On average, approximately 115 patients are referred to Virtual MD daily. Primary Care Alberta reports that around 60% of these patients receive home-care advice, while a smaller percentage are directed to primary care providers or walk-in clinics. Only a small fraction are advised to visit emergency departments.
Virtual MD operates daily from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m., with a recent addition of an online chat option and building on an existing newborn support line through Health Link.
