Pilot project gets underway

Emergency doctors now also working from home

Important vital parameters such as an ECG or blood pressure values are transmitted to a tele-emergency doctor at the touch of a button.

(Bild: Rotes Kreuz OÖ)

An emergency doctor working from home - this has been possible since December 1st in Mattighofen, St. Georgen im Attergau, Weyer and Steyr. The Upper Austrian Red Cross launched the "Tele-Emergency Doctor" pilot project in these four regions. ECG, blood pressure and oxygen levels are transmitted to doctors via WhatsApp.

Berndt Schreiner explains how this works. The Freistadt native is chief physician at the Lower Austrian Red Cross, where the system has been running for four years. "If the paramedics see that a patient has chest pain and the case is not entirely clear, they call the 'tele-emergency doctor'," says Schreiner, describing the process.

"They start an app on their smartphone. It's like WhatsApp, where I, as the 'tele-emergency doctor', can see the ECG and oxygen saturation. Then I can advise my colleagues and say: 'Yes, he needs to go to the internal admissions department' or 'No, please call an emergency doctor, he's having a heart attack'."

Helps with the staffing situation
The system has several advantages, says Schreiner: "Within a few minutes, the emergency doctor's knowledge is with the patient. In critical cases, we can also provide digital support until the emergency doctor arrives." The project also helps with the tight staffing situation: "The home office for us is the 'tele-emergency doctor'. That's how we manage to find staff today."

In only around 20 percent of cases is the emergency doctor actually needed on site. In many others, it is enough to transfer the knowledge.

Berndt Schreiner, Leiter des Projekts Tele-Notarzt

Three deployments so far
Since September, the "tele-emergency doctor" has been manned around the clock by the Red Cross nationwide. In Upper Austria, the system is still being set up. There have been three deployments so far: In one case, the "tele-emergency doctor" recommended leaving the patient at home. The other two were admitted to hospital.

„Krone“-Kommentar

Die Vorteile der Technik nutzen

It may sound strange at first if the emergency doctor no longer visits in person. But why not take advantage of modern technology?

Instead of chasing halfway across the state from one call-out to the next, the lifesavers can connect with patients in a matter of seconds and even talk to them. In times of a shortage of specialist staff, this will sooner or later be a literal survival strategy. Because I'd rather have an expert emergency doctor advising me on my cell phone than not have one at all.