AURORA, Colo. — Aurora Fire Rescue has launched a new service to connect low acuity, non-emergency 911 medical calls with virtual physicians.
The new service, launched Wednesday and called Aurora Clinical Navigation, will connect patients via phone or video after 911 dispatchers determine the nature and severity of the call.
Low-priority calls — such as mild infections, minor injuries, high blood pressure or stomach flu — would be referred to the virtual service.
Aurora Fire Rescue Medical Director Dr. Eric Hill says the virtual care will save wear and tear on ambulances, free up crews to go to other emergency calls and save patients money.
“The most expensive care you can get is an emergency department ever and that's not a secret to anybody," he said. "Ambulance rides also have their own costs associated with them as well. If a physician is able to do a telemedicine visit, that's certainly a cheaper option for that person."
Virtual physicians can prescribe medication, arrange transportation to an urgent care facility, or connect patients to mental health services.
The service is contracted through MD Ally, a company offering digital health services in Florida, California and Arizona in 250 languages.
“We believe that telemedicine can truly make a difference in the care that patients receive, while reducing the strain on first responders and agencies striving to keep pace with growing populations and increasing call volume,” said Shanel Fields, MD Ally CEO and founder. “By working within the agency’s existing infrastructure, we can ensure that these new telehealth options are easy to access and the transition to a telehealth response tier is as smooth as possible for both patients and providers.”
Aurora 911 anticipates this service will reduce call volume by 15 calls per day or 1.5% of their overall volume. Dr. Hill says this accounts for 10% of their EMS runs.
Aurora Fire Rescue says they will be monitoring the service closely through patient surveys conducted by MD Ally and through 911 call-backs.
“We'll be looking at, one, was the patient satisfied with the care. Two, did they get good care, and then three, did this have a meaningful impact on response times?” Dr. Hill said.
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