Telehealth - what a waste!

[Zhakrin]

In Toronto we have a hotline that gives pt a direct line to RNs and promotes itself by saying that the caller will have access to other medical professionals.

I HATE this service they are so afraid of lawsuits that they tell every caller to go to the ER immediately. I have seen the faxes they send to the ERs, and hell...

c/o crying baby x 30mins...go to the ER

c/o headache x 1 year... go to the ER

c/o Temp of 38 x 2 days... go to the ER

one parent even told me that when she told the RN on the phone that she would wait till morning and call her family doc, the nurse threatened to call child services on her.

They even have the patient put the phone to their chest so they can listen for crackles, LOL

This service has become a running joke at almost all the ERs I have dropped off at. I would be laughing as well if they werent increasing the ER wait and costing the health system alot of $$$.

Anyone else have stupid services in their areas that just do not work?

[PhantomRN]

We do telehealth here in the states and it is not all a waste of money. It all depends on the situation.

Yes, the nurse who recieves the call has to back themselves up [iE cover their ars] by saying they recommmend the pt go to the ER, but at least where I am we use protocols to do alot of home care.

[OntRPN]

I am in London and they tell everyone to go to the ER just ask a EMS