The Victorian Virtual Specialist Consults (VVSC) is a first of its kind service in Australia utilising video co-consultation with community providers to provide timely and equitable access to specialist expertise across the state.
In short, VVSC provides specialist care differently.
In collaboration with community-based clinicians, specialist expertise is provided when and where it is required. The collaborative consultation supports Victoria’s community and rural-based workforce with partnership development and upskilling to keep patients in their own communities.
In addition, patients seen through the Victorian Virtual Emergency Department (VVED) who experience significant barriers to healthcare access can be booked into a direct consultation with a relevant specialist. Waiting times for appointments are days to weeks, rather than months to years seen in the traditional hospital specialist services. Patients are offered a one-off assessment to enable initial investigations and interventions, while navigation into the most appropriate ongoing care provider is assessed and facilitated. This allows the care journey to commence and health to be optimised whilst awaiting definitive care.
This service is innovative, aiming to replicate the ‘corridor consult’ that hospital providers leverage when advice is needed. It is transformative, enabling patients to receive care when and where they need it, rather than when it is available. And importantly it improves equity in healthcare access by removing geographical barriers to specialist care.
In doing so, VVSC reduces demand on overburdened hospital outpatient services, supports patients getting the right care in the right place, and re-establishes value in health for all Victorians.
