AGED health care services in the east metropolitan area will receive a funding boost to a virtual service used to connect patients to specialists from the comfort of home.

As part of a record $3.2 billion investment in WA’s health and mental health, the state government is putting $8.6 million into the Community Health in a Virtual Environment (Co-HIVE) program from 2024-26.

The Co-HIVE aged care service provides remote consultations so residents in aged care homes needing medical attention can get assessed without going to the emergency department.

“The recent funding will go toward further supporting the WA Virtual Emergency Department (WAVED) in their services, including Co-HIVE,” an East Metropolitan Health Service (EMHS) spokesperson said.

“When a resident within an aged care home needs emergency care, the staff member will call 000 as usual.

From there, a WAVED staff member will contact the aged care facility if the patient is deemed suitable for the Co-HIVE service.

“A WAVED virtual consultation will only occur where the experienced emergency medical staff deem it as a safe and preferrable option to keep the patient in the comfort of their residence and to avoid an unnecessary visit to the emergency department,” they said.

All that’s needed from there is a device that can accept video-calls and an internet connection to facilitate the consultation.

“No special programs or technology are required.”

Co-HIVE is a service that exists inside the larger Health in a Virtual Environment (HIVE) infrastructure and is WA’s first inpatient remote monitoring service.

It is a service where doctors, nurses, and specialists can operate from a ‘pod’ which is a group of computer monitors that display a patient’s detailed and live-updated health information.

The medical staff at the pod can video call and collaborate with on-the-ground workers to help deliver treatments to patients.