No one wants to go to a hospital emergency department (ED), but sometimes, there’s no avoiding it.

As OSF HealthCare joins other health systems struggling with staffing shortages, it is also seeing patients without access to primary care showing up in emergency rooms and facing long waits for less serious health issues. To meet the challenge of long wait times, OSF is turning to virtual technology to move patients through their ED experience more efficiently.

Anyone coming into the hospital emergency department at OSF HealthCare Saint Elizabeth Medical Center in either Peru or Ottawa, Illinois will be triaged to determine the seriousness of their condition or injury. Patients who qualify for this time saving option for care will be taken to one of our virtual care rooms where a nurse helps establish a video connection and assists the patient with any hands-on equipment needed for a video visit with the virtual provider.

“Our virtual physician will be able to do an assessment of each patient virtually, through the use of advanced technology and the onsite nurse. They will develop an appropriate treatment plan, coordinate prescriptions, and a follow up care plan,” says Dawn Trompeter, president of OSF Saint Elizabeth Medical Center. “We want to offer a better experience for everyone, and qualified patients can be seen more quickly and get on the road to recovery.”

Studies also reveal prolonged emergency department wait times and length of a visit reduces quality care and increases adverse events for patients with serious illnesses. “So, the goal with introducing this new model is to improve patient care as well as our patients’ experience,” Trompeter stresses.

The virtual emergency care area is located within the hospital emergency department and includes a mobile cart equipped with two-way audio and video capabilities, making it easy to have a conversation with the remote medical provider. The mobile units have high-resolution cameras to observe symptoms or injuries more closely.

A nurse or medical staff member will assist with completing the patient assessment using the advanced digital tools on the mobile units that allow the virtual doctor to hear a patient’s breath and cardiac sounds or look more closely into the patient’s eyes and ears, just as they would do if they were physically in the room.

“We will work together to take care of patients with the same high standard of care given by our in-person physicians,” says Benjamin Kemp, MD, the lead physician for virtual emergency care.

If at any time the care team thinks someone needs to be seen in person by a doctor, they can be immediately transferred to the traditional ED.

“If a patient requires care that is too complex for virtual interaction, we will easily and seamlessly work with the in-person team to get the great care patients deserve,” Dr. Kemp emphasizes.

OSF is using several innovative approaches to reduce ED wait times and improve the overall experience, including using virtual behavioral health clinicians to make sure people with mental health issues are seen within the target goal of one hour. Additionally, research is underway to see if predictive modeling using artificial intelligence can help match staffing with surge times.

B-roll of Virtual ED