Flying doctors warn of safety risks as virtual EDs ‘beam’ unprepared city doctors into the bush
The risks are analogous to leaving locums without support or training, Dr Shannon Nott says.
Using virtual hospitals as a cheap fix for areas without doctors could put patients at risk, warns the Royal Flying Doctor Service South Eastern Section’s chief medical officer.
Dr Shannon Nott says most states and territories have developed — or are developing — a centralised, city-based virtual hospital or ED to remotely treat outback patients.
He says the risks are comparable to sending locums to regional hospitals without support or orientation.
“There are systemic issues, yet we are doing this at scale,” he told the Connect Virtual Care conference in Sydney last week.
