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Table 3 Characteristics of vCare encounters at accepting sites by transfer priority, Western NSW, 1 February to 31 March 2021

From: A retrospective observational study of vCare: a virtual emergency clinical advisory and transfer service in rural and remote Australia

 

TRANSPORT CLASSIFICATION (Urgency Level)a

TOTAL

N (%)

A (High)

B (Mod)

C (Low-mod)

D (Low)

E (Self)

Transferred vCare encounters, N (% of row total)

 

64 (5.9)

646 (59.8)

161 (14.9)

37 (3.4)

172 (15.9)

1,080 (100.0)

Transfer accepting site, N (%)

 MM3 facility in study region

59 (92.2)

644 (95.7)

157 (94.0)

40 (95.2)

179 (94.7)

1,079 (95.1)

 Other within study regionb

0 (0.0)

10 (1.5)

7 (4.2)

 < 5 (4.8)

9 (4.8)

28 (2.5)

 Other outside study regionc

5 (7.8)

19 (2.8)

 < 5 (1.8)

0 (0.0)

 < 5 (0.5)

28 (2.5)

Specialty team at accepting site, N (%)

 Physician cared

23 (41.0)

271 (42.1)

43 (26.4)

5 (11.9)

14 (8.1)

356 (33.1)

 Emergency Departmentf

 < 5 (5.4)

124 (19.3)

43 (26.4)

16 (38.1)

57 (33.1)

243 (22.6)

 Surgical caree

 < 5 (1.8)

113 (17.5)

61 (37.4)

14 (33.3)

62 (36.0)

251 (23.3)

 Paediatrics

 < 5 (1.8)

50 (7.8)

5 (3.1)

6 (14.3)

29 (16.9)

91 (8.4)

 Intensive Care/High Dependency

22 (39.3)

41 (6.4)

5 (3.1)

0 (0.0)

 < 5 (1.2)

70 (6.5)

 Obstetrics/Gynaecology

 < 5 (5,4)

37 (5.7)

 < 5 (1.8)

 < 5 (2.4)

6 (3.5)

50 (4.6)

 Psychiatry or Drugs & Alcohol

 < 5 (5.4)

8 (1.2)

 < 5 (1.8)

0 (0.0)

 < 5 (1.2)

16 (1.5)

Imaging at accepting site, N (%)

 Nil used

9 (15.8)

138 (21.5)

23 (14.0)

15 (35.7)

67 (39.4)

252 (23.4)

 CT, MRI &/or Echocardiographyg

25 (43.9)

237 (36.9)

87 (53.0)

12 (28.6)

39 (22.9)

400 (37.2)

 Ultrasound or X-ray

10 (17.5)

165 (25.7)

44 (26.8)

14 (33.3)

59 (34.7)

292 (27.2)

 Imaging Angiography

 < 5 (3.5)

59 (9.2)

9 (5.5)

 < 5 (2.4)

5 (2.9)

76 (7.1)

 Coronary Angiography

11 (19.3)

43 (6.7)

 < 5 (0.6)

0 (0.0)

0 (0.0)

55 (5.1)

Length of stay at accepting site, N (%)

 < 24 h

9 (15.8)

196 (30.6)

48 (29.4)

18 (42.9)

90 (53.6)

361 (33.7)

 24 h – 7 days

29 (50.9)

336 (52.5)

86 (52.8)

19 (45.2)

68 (40.5)

538 (50.3)

 > 7 days

19 (33.3)

108 (16.9)

29 (17.8)

5 (11.9)

10 (6.0)

171 (16.0)

Secondary transfer from accepting site, N (% of ‘Transferred vCare encounters’)

 Nil secondary transfer

49 (89.1)

559 (86.9)

141 (85.5)

42 (95.5)

162 (94.2)

953 (88.3)

 Metropolitan facility outside study region

5 (9.1)

53 (8.2)

9 (5.5)

0 (0)

6 (3.5)

73 (6.8)

 Higher care facility within study region

1 (1.8)

31 (4.8)

15 (9.1)

2 (4.5)

4 (2.3)

53 (4.9)

  1. Mod Moderate, MM Modified Monash Model, Metro Metropolitan, CT Computerized tomography, MRI Magnetic resonance imaging
  2. aPatient Transport Classes [26]
  3. A. Emergency retrieval for life-threatening clinical scenario (Emergency Ambulance Services only). High acuity
  4. B. Patient requires observation and monitoring by Registered Nurse or Paramedic > Medium acuity
  5. C. Patient expected to remain stable requiring clinical escort. Medium to low acuity
  6. D. Stable patient requiring non-clinical transport escort. Medium to low acuity
  7. E. Self-caring patient, no risk of deterioration, can use non-health/private transport. Low acuity
  8. bMore than 80% of 'Other within study region' transfers were accepted by MM4 (procedural) facilities
  9. cNearly 90% of 'Other outside study region' transfers were accepted by metropolitan facilities
  10. d Includes cardiology, respiratory, oncology, renal, neurology and general medicine
  11. eIncludes general surgery, urology and ear, nose, and throat (ENT) surgery
  12. fOnly required assessment and/or treatment in the Emergency Department and was not admitted by a specialty team
  13. gCT, MRI &/or echocardiography total = 410; N = 391 at MM3 sites and N = 14 at MM4 sites
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BMC Health Services Research

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