Implementation of a Paediatric Virtual Emergency Department: A Descriptive Analysis.

Area of Science:

• Digital Health
• Paediatric Emergency Medicine
• Healthcare Services Research

Background:

• The Victorian Virtual Emergency Department (VVED) offers statewide virtual emergency consultations for non-life-threatening conditions.
• The dedicated paediatric arm, VVED-Kids, was established to address the specific needs of children.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the utilization patterns of VVED-Kids.
• To assess the impact of VVED-Kids on emergency department (ED) presentations.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of routinely collected data from VVED-Kids.
• Inclusion of patients aged 0-17 years presenting between March 2023 and February 2025.
• Analysis of sociodemographic data, referral sources, diagnoses (ICD codes), and disposition.

Main Results:

• 130,821 presentations to VVED-Kids over two years.
• Median patient age of 3 years; 53.1% male; 73% from metropolitan areas.
• Most common referral: self-referral (64.1%); common diagnoses: viral infections (fevers, gastroenteritis, respiratory illnesses).
• 85.6% of presentations were managed without transfer to a physical ED.

Conclusions:

• VVED-Kids effectively diverts patients from physical EDs, reserving in-person care for high-acuity cases.
• Collaborations with Nurse-on-Call and Ambulance Victoria enhance home-based care and ED avoidance.
• Virtual emergency services play a crucial role in optimizing paediatric healthcare access and resource allocation.