Connected care partner My Emergency Doctor has reported a marked increase in higher-acuity presentations to its virtual emergency services, suggesting the model is increasingly being used to support complex care in rural and regional health facilities. Rather than operating as standard telehealth, MED provides practical, senior clinical support at the point of care.
Medical Director of My Emergency Doctor Dr Tatiana Lowe said the change reflected the role virtual emergency specialists could play in supporting local clinical teams and reducing avoidable transfers.
“Consider what that means for a small, under-resourced regional hospital or an isolated community clinic,” Dr Lowe said.
“Eighty-five percent of these complex patients were safely, effectively treated right where they were, without requiring a costly, distressing, and resource-heavy transfer to a major regional hub.”
A retrospective analysis supplied by My Emergency Doctor compared presentations to its service during 2025 and 2026.
The company reported that Australasian Triage Scale Category 1 presentations increased by 229 per cent, Category 2 presentations rose by 291 per cent and Category 3 presentations increased by 99 per cent.
Over the same period, lower-acuity Category 4 and 5 presentations declined by 39 per cent.
My Emergency Doctor said overall consultation volumes remained relatively stable, indicating the changes reflected a shift in the types of patients being presented to the service rather than growth in total activity.
It also reported that the weighted average consultation duration for higher-acuity presentations remained at about 31 minutes.
The company said a senior-led virtual workforce framework successfully achieved an average Managed in Situ (MIS) rate of 85%.
My Emergency Doctor connects community health services, ambulance services and rural and remote facilities with emergency physicians who provide senior clinical advice and decision support.
The company currently supports more than 60 health services, including services operated by Darling Downs Hospital and Health Service, Barossa Hills Fleurieu Local Health Network, North West Hospital and Health Service and Murrumbidgee Local Health District.
It said the service was intended to support, rather than replace, local doctors, GPs, visiting medical officers and existing state health services.
The model provides local clinicians with access to emergency medicine advice, clinical governance and support with decisions about whether patients can remain at their current facility or require escalation and transfer.
Dr Lowe said virtual emergency care should be considered as part of broader health service planning rather than as a secondary alternative to in-person care.
“If we are serious about health system reform and health equity, we must stop viewing telehealth as a secondary alternative,” she said.
“Advanced virtual emergency care has proven it can shoulder the burden of complex, high-acuity medicine. It is time for health policy and state funding models to formally integrate these high-MIS virtual frameworks into the DNA of our national healthcare strategy.”
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