Pilot project is being rolled out: Video consultation for pediatricians

"We are in the final stages of the tests and have seen that they work very well," says Armin Beck, deputy chairman of the KVH board. The aim of the video service is to provide sick To savechildren and their parents the trip to an emergency service center and to avoid waiting times.

Parents of acutely ill children and adolescents can make an appointment by calling 116117 between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. on certain holidays, for example, on the Corpus Christi long weekend (June 19 to June 22).

The staff then assess whether the symptoms are suitable for video treatment and schedule an appointment with a pediatrician. Parents log in to this appointment via a link. "If the initial consultation determines that a physical examination of the child is necessary, the families will be referred to the nearest pediatric on-call center," the statement states.

Of course, not all conditions are suitable for online care, such as very high fever or serious injuries, Beck said. However, patients with a wide variety of rashes, conjunctivitis, gastrointestinal infections, and even prescription requests can be treated effectively via video consultation.

The service was first tested on the long weekend of October 3, 2023. Since then, approximately 1,500 video treatments have been performed around the holidays. Starting October 1, the service will be introduced permanently. This means Wednesdays and Fridays from 2 p.m. to midnight, Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 7 p.m. to midnight, and weekends from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

And: “The next step will be to expand this emergency care via video to include adults as well,” Beck announces.