Item 4 - Report on Mobile Healthcare Services Option

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The Register-Guard http://www.registerguard.com/ New system could revive the house call BY DENNIS MURPHY For The Register-Guard Wednesday Posted to Web: ,Jul 28, 2010 02:55PM Thursday Appeared in print: ,Jul 29, 2010, page L2 Few people remember when doctors made routine house calls. With rare exceptions over the last 40 years, the only house call available is 911 for emergency medical services. But most illnesses or injuries do not require paramedics or a trip to the emergency department. Some only need advice on self-help; some can be treated safely and released on site by nurses or paramedics. Others may be treated in a doctor’s office or urgent care. If efforts now under way are successful, self-help advice will be available and routine or primary care may be delivered by Mobile Primary Care Units staffed by a nurse or paramedic on a 24-hour basis. Design and development has begun on a new system known as Mobile Healthcare Services, which links public safety (911 EMS) with routine primary care response. The goal is improved access for all people, and better health outcomes at lower cost. The Mobile Healthcare Services project first was proposed to a Joint Elected Officials Ambulance Transport System Task Force. The task force was looking for options to help resolve the current financial threat to ambulance operations. Task force members noted that 911 EMS calls for service continued to rise, while due to limited financial resources, the number of ambulances available was not keeping pace. One of the solutions is to carefully separate emergency from nonemergency calls and send more appropriate and less expensive caregivers for routine primary care. The vision for a comprehensive redesign includes a 24-hour “MediHelp” telephone and online self-help advice and response by MPCUs or ambulances as needed. Callers will describe the illness or injury, and a trained call-taker will give advice and send further assistance, if needed. Depending on the nature of illness or injury, the patient will be treated and released, transported to the appropriate health care facility, or referred to a social services agency for assistance. All persons will be served, without regard for ability to pay. Lane County’s many health care agencies are being asked to become stakeholders and providers in the Mobile Healthcare Services system design and development. ûÌÌ×ÎØÓÄú