Virtual care piloted for pregnant women

It is a panic no woman wants to experience – bleeding or pain in their early pregnancy.
 
At those most stressful of times, families are often forced to spend hours in chaotic emergency departments waiting for answers.
 
But it is hoped a new nation-leading program can help to alleviate that worry.
 
South Australia has launched a new urgent virtual care service pilot, allowing women experiencing symptoms of early pregnancy loss or with gynaecological concerns to receive treatment in the comfort of their own home.
 
The new virtual Women’s Assessment Service allows women to immediately speak to a midwife via video link for an urgent assessment, then an obstetrics and gynaecology doctor if needed.
 
Chair of RACGP Specific Interests Antenatal/Postnatal Care Dr Wendy Burton has welcomed the program, but said it is vital GPs are communicated with and informed of any patient updates.
 
‘We do need to look to the innovative solutions, but in the creation of this program, they need to include GPs in the loop, to make sure they are writing to inform GPs,’ she told newsGP.
 
‘By informing us they can educate us, saying [the patient] presented with these symptoms, and this flow rate, and we did this test, and we did that check, and we waited to see, or we gave this medication, or we organised this.
 
‘If they do access a service like this, that information needs to come back to their GP.’
 
The year-long pilot launched last month following a successful trial, in which every woman who accessed it said they would use it again and preferred it to visiting a hospital.
 
Women eligible for the service are those who are less than 20 weeks pregnant and experiencing symptoms of pregnancy loss, nausea or vomiting, or gynaecological issues.
 
South Australian mother Angel Parish took part in that initial trial and praised its rollout.
 
‘I was 12 weeks pregnant with my third child when I was experiencing some cramping and pain in my abdomen, and so I thought it best for me to just check in with someone,’ she said.
 
‘Even though it’s my third pregnancy, I wasn’t sure if it was normal.
 
‘Thankfully I didn’t have to wait very long to speak to a midwife, and of course it saved me having to organise care for my girls and go into the Women’s and Children’s Hospital to see someone.’
 
But Dr Burton said it is imperative GPs continue to hone their skills at helping families in the early stages of pregnancy and recognising any warning signs, rather than handing the reigns to adjacent services entirely.
 
‘I’m absolutely in favour of upskilling and broadening the workforce, but I’m not in favour of that at the expense of deskilling the workforce. Nobody ever got better at doing something by not doing it,’ she said.
 
‘There may be physical issues, there may be mental health issues, and the broad scope of our practice is what sets us apart in the workforce.
 
‘If we become so super specialised, then there are no generalists left who can handle common events such as threatened miscarriage or early pregnancy loss, and that is really cutting out some of the heart of general practice.’
 
Complications in pregnancy continue to be common in Australia, with up to one quarter of pregnancies ending in miscarriage.
 
But for women living in the country’s rural and regional areas, urgent access to healthcare is hard to come by.
 
South Australia Health Minister Chris Picton said the program will ensure all women, irrelevant of their location, will have access to prompt healthcare.
 
‘Pregnancy loss is a deeply personal experience, and the ability for women to manage this in the comfort and privacy of their own home instead of attending the emergency department will go a long way in helping navigate such an incredibly difficult time,’ he said.
 
‘This service is a great example of how technology can be harnessed to provide compassionate, patient-focused care and keep people out of hospital unnecessarily.’
 
The service is available to South Australian residents seven days a week between 8 am and 4 pm.
 
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