811 tele-health contract renewed for P.E.I.
Service launched in September 2013; extension will cost $2.4 million
Prince Edward Island has renewed a contract for 811 services with Nova Scotia, a deal that will last until March 2019 and cost P.E.I. $2.4 million.
An average of about 50 Islanders a day have used the tele-health service since it launched on P.E.I. in September 2013, according to the Department of Health and Wellness.
Health questions are answered by registered nurses in Nova Scotia.
Statistics show that of those Islanders calling who said they wanted to go to a hospital emergency room, 5 per cent were dissuaded from doing so.
More than half of all callers to 811 were told to go to their family doctor, 20 per cent were given advice on how to deal with their ailment at home, and 20 per cent were advised to head to the emergency room.
The 811 service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week in 120 languages.
Clarifications
- A previous version of this story stated 28 per cent of people who called 811 from P.E.I. were dissuaded from going to the emergency room, based on sampling info from contractor McKesson Canada. When compared to total calls the number is 5 per cent.Dec 03, 2014 7:06 AM AT