Trial | Catchment Areas * † | Notes |
---|---|---|
1. Statewide call centre | Capital city, small rural centre and Other rural area 1.42 M Rest of state – small rural centre and other rural area studied 42,500 | 1 Operator with prior international industry experience under contract to the State Government) 2 Free to caller |
2. Regional call centre | Capital city (inner region) 537,000 Non-metro satellite: Small rural centre 21,000 | 1 Startup operator 2 Free to caller 3 A GP AH walk-in clinic located adjacent to the ED of a regional hospital in the central metro area operating for part of the study period closed due to lack of demand. |
3. Deputising service | Capital city and Other rural area 229,000 | 1 GP-based telephone triage and advice service 2 Pre-existing and continuing Deputising service offering an AH walkin clinic and home visiting service. 3 Service offered to patients of previously enrolled GP practices and new enrolled GP practices beyond the metro area. 4 Commonwealth government funding of the program derived from 'cashing out' historical MBS reimbursements to the service – home visits during the trial not billed to patient. |
4. Local triage and advice service | Other rural area (ie small country town and surrounding community) 21,000 | 1 Hospital nurses using locally developed paper-based protocols 2 located in a local hospital in a rural community. 3 Aim to support GP own-practice AH arrangement to relieve GP AH burden. |