Health and Community Services
July 31, 2013
A recent evaluation of the Newfoundland and Labrador HealthLine shows that over 97 per cent of users are highly satisfied with the provincial program, and that it is resulting in the reductions of unnecessary visits to emergency departments. To further advance usage of the service, the Provincial Government is partnering with Eastern Health to launch a new project using the HealthLine to help improve emergency department services and care.
“We view HealthLine as an essential tool for people that need health advice 24-hours a day, seven days a week, anywhere in the province,” said the Honourable Susan Sullivan, Minister of Health and Community Services. “It is reassuring to know that the program is valued by its clients and it is helping people determine appropriate courses of action when dealing with a health matter. We recognize that there are additional ways we can further utilize this valuable resource and are pleased to launch this project with Eastern Health that will help provide better service to patients who enter our emergency departments.”
Effective Monday, August 5, a HealthLine nurse will contact patients who left one of Eastern Health’s 12 adult emergency departments without being seen by a nurse practitioner or physician. Within 24 hours a follow-up call will be made to identified patients to determine the status of their symptoms and ensure they receive further assessment or treatment if required. The success of this project will be evaluated by the Department of Health and Community Services to determine whether or not the service will be expanded province-wide.
“Eastern Health is committed to providing the people we serve with quality, accessible emergency health care,” said Vickie Kaminski, President and CEO of Eastern Health. “Following up with patients who leave before being seen ensures that they receive the appropriate treatment, and it also provides Eastern Health with an opportunity to use patient feedback to identify ways to improve access to care in our emergency departments.”
Areas of further expansion and utilization of the HealthLine continue to be explored. The Provincial Government is currently developing additional services for the program to help support those with mental health and other chronic disease conditions. These new components are expected to be available this coming fall. Expanding on the capabilities and capacity of the HealthLine will make greater use of this service that has demonstrated its value through the recent evaluation.
The evaluation of the HealthLine was conducted by the Newfoundland and Labrador Centre for Health Information. A copy of the report can be found at www.health.gov.nl.ca/health/
The evaluation of the HealthLine and implementation of this new emergency department initiative furthers the objectives and actions outlined in the Provincial Government’s Strategy to Reduce Emergency Department Wait Times which was released in early 2012. To contact a HealthLine nurse, please phone: 1-888-709-2929
Media contact:
Scott Barfoot
Director of Communications
Department of Health and Community Services
709-729-1377, 690-6290
scottbarfoot@gov.nl.ca
2013 07 31 2:00 p.m.