Absolutely not. Our service is not a replacement for the emergency 000 service. If your student is suffering from a time-critical emergency such as chest pain, uncontrolled bleeding, is unconscious, has difficulty breathing or has been in a major accident, call 000 without delay.

Our service seeks to work in a complementary manner to GP services in primary care. We recognise that a GP is a patient's primary healthcare provider and the importance of that relationship in maintaining health and wellbeing. My Emergency Doctor complements the existing primary healthcare system by being there immediately at times when a GP can’t be, as our service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our consultations with patients are focused on an immediate and dire need and as such, our emergency physicians seek to make rapid decisions and arrange critical care for that specific point in time. Additionally we are able to provide post-consultation summaries which the patient or their family can provide to their usual GP to support any ongoing care the patient requires.

Lines are staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year. We currently have a strong roster of FACEMs working with us on a rotating basis. Calls can come in, and will be answered immediately, at any time of the day or night.

The key steps are:

• Our Virtual Care service is easily accessible in two ways. Firstly, you can use your phone to dial 1800 123 633 to access the service. Secondly, you can also access the service through the "Call Doctor" button available on the My Emergency Doctor website or ABSA website, which will connect you to a video call with our doctor.
• Enter your details and your Site Code. Your Site Code would have been provided to your facility during the onboarding and training process. If you need to know your Site Code, please contact our Client Support team. 
• You will be placed into a waiting room until a Patient Support Officer will greet you (within seconds) and connect you via built-in video to the emergency specialist doctor.
• The doctor will assess the patient and make a diagnosis, then arrange what is needed, e.g. prescription for medication, referral for an pathology, x-ray or specialist.
• The doctor will make a patient consultation summary together with any prescriptions or referrals that might have been given during the consultation. These documents will be securely sent electronically / emailed to your facility.

Our senior emergency specialist doctors (FACEMs) are experienced in managing busy hospital emergency departments (ED). They specialise in diagnosing and managing acute conditions in patients previously unknown to them, with limited information. Their experience uniquely positions them to advise which patients need to go to an ED and those who can be treated at home/ health institution or by their GP.

Through audio and video technology, our consulting emergency specialists can talk to patients and clinical staff, view injuries or symptoms of illness before diagnosing, prescribing and making treatment plans and other arrangements with patient transfer services or pharmacies. 

As a complete solution for acute emergency presentations we issue prescriptions and referrals for pathology and imaging, can work with local care teams to determine a treatment plan, and can share a consultation summary. This allows us to complement existing care pathways as summaries can also be uploaded to My Health Record.

It’s in this way that we have been able to help and manage approximately 85%-90% of all our patients where they are, in situ, without the need for ambulance transfer and/or to an emergency hospital department.

School staff who use My Emergency Doctor’s service will have prompt access to an senior emergency specialist doctor (FACEM) in a medical crisis, who will provide timely medical consultation and may minimise potentially avoidable transfers. At the same time the service contributes to patient comfort by supporting patient preferences if they need to be managed in place and reduces the risk of hospital acquired infections by avoiding transfers to Emergency Departments.

Examples of cases successfully managed by our emergency specialist doctors:

• Febrile patients (whether with UTI, pneumonia, cellulitis or other infection)
• Injured patients (including suspected minor head injuries, fractures, burns, wounds)
• Asthma exacerbations
• Abdominal pain
• Palliative care

Our service is subject to the following prices and charged to the school for a virtual medical consultation.

• $200 +GST between the hours of 6.30am – 11pm
• $250 +GST between the hours of 11pm – 6.30am
• $250 +GST on weekends

If the student requires additional medical support from a MED physician within a 4-hour period they will not be charged any additional fees. Please note there is a 75% loading charge on relevant State and National Public Holidays.

Payment is due within 14 days of receiving the invoice. If there is a dispute in regards to the service usage, ABSA and MED will work with the school to rectify any issues, ABSA will invoice the boarding schools at the end of every term. Along with the invoice you will receive a full report which will include the following: student’s name, date of consult, MED Physician information, student DOB, length of consultation and consultation outcome. There are no subscription costs or ongoing fees, only the cost for usage of the service. Boarding schools can pass on the consultation cost to students and parents at their own discretion. My Emergency Doctor vets and ensure all doctors have the relevant qualifications to perform this service at a high quality. ABSA holds no responsibility on the advice provided by My Emergency Doctor.

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We’re here to help you with our service. Please contact us on External Link1800 123 633 or send an online enquiry.