Increased Utilization of Telemedical Emergency and Nonurgent Care Following Deployment of Virtual Triage and Care Referral in Australia
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Objective To evaluate whether an AI-based national virtual triage and care referral (VTCR) service improved care acuity level alignment and patient engagement of telemedicine services in Australia, and reduced emergency department demand by offering lower acuity, less costly options for urgent, virtual or in-person care services in the pursuit of improved care outcomes. Patients and Methods Cross-sectional analyses examined changes in patient care intent following VTCR to determine whether it facilitated patient adoption of new emergency and non-urgent telemedicine and virtual care services. Results VTCR more than doubled the proportion of patients selecting appropriate, lower-acuity non-urgent care from 21.3% to 52.9% (+31.6 percentage points [PP], p<0.01) while effectively eliminating uncertainty in care-seeking (-99.6%). Intent for in-person emergency care fell significantly from 36.7% to 24.6% (-12.1 PP, p<0.01), replaced by substantial growth in patient intent to use virtual emergency care (+10.1 PP) and non-urgent virtual care (+2.9 PP) use (p<0.01). Victoria, a state within Australia, recorded the highest uptake; extrapolated nationally, these shifts could prevent an estimated 2,409 unnecessary in-person non-urgent visits and 19,286 unnecessary emergency department visits annually. Aboriginal and Indigenous patients showed similar benefits and engaged VTCR at higher rates than other patients. Conclusion AI-based VTCR improved alignment between patient perceived needs and recommended care pathways, driving greater use of appropriate, lower-acuity and telemedicine services while reducing unnecessary in-person emergency visits. By eliminating uncertainty in care seeking and advancing adoption of new virtual emergency and non-urgent care options, VTCR offers a scalable, evidence-based solution for optimizing emergent and urgent care delivery and easing pressure on emergency departments across Australia.
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,500
OpenAlex ID: W4417515996