Pronto Consulto: telephone service to provide guidance in the Mendrisiotto

Context

In brief

• Pronto Consulto is launched in the Mendrisiotto and Basso Ceresio
• A doctor calls back within 30 minutes
• Service available Monday to Friday, from 9 to 17
• The pilot project lasts one year

Key facts

• Service and area → Pronto Consulto in the Mendrisiotto and Basso Ceresio
• Doctor callback → within 30 minutes
• Initial availability → Monday-Friday, 9-17
• Number → 091 811 30 20
• Pilot project and estimates → one year; approximately 800 calls per year; possible reduction of 15%

In the Mendrisiotto and Basso Ceresio, Pronto Consulto, a new telephone service designed for people who have a health problem and do not know whether an urgent assessment is necessary, has been launched. The project is presented as a point of guidance between managing the situation at home, waiting to see one's family doctor, the emergency department and intervention by the Servizio Autoambulanza.

The central element is a callback from a hospital doctor: after the telephone call, the user is contacted within 30 minutes. When appropriate, the assessment can also take place via video call. The doctor considers the situation and indicates which course to follow, without Pronto Consulto replacing 144, the emergency department or the family doctor.

The symptoms mentioned include minor injuries, musculoskeletal problems, minor wounds, non-serious breathing problems and general symptoms such as moderate fever and malaise. The list describes cases that may benefit from guidance; the decision on the course of action remains linked to the doctor's assessment.

The service is recognized by health insurance funds, an element indicated in the presentation of the project. The topic can be explored further in the tool dedicated to health insurance funds, without confusing this telephone guidance service with a replacement for urgent care.

Why the project was created

The initiative is driven by growing pressure on healthcare services, especially the emergency department and ambulance services. These facilities also handle situations that do not require an urgent response. The estimates considered by the promoters indicate that approximately 20% of the cases handled by the two services could be managed through less urgent means.

The project also includes ambulance requests that Centrale Ticino Soccorso classifies as non-urgent. In these situations, a pre-hospital clinical specialist from the Servizio Autoambulanza may be sent to the scene for an initial assessment, without immediately mobilizing a full crew.

At the outset, Pronto Consulto will be available Monday to Friday, from 9 to 17, at 091 811 30 20. The estimated capacity is approximately 800 calls per year and the possible reduction in the workload on the services involved is 15%. The pilot project will last one year: its results will be used to assess the effectiveness of the model, introduce any necessary adjustments and decide whether to make it permanent.

Operational details

The path between doubt and care

The practical value of Pronto Consulto lies in placing a medical assessment before the decision about where to seek care. For those who are not healthcare professionals, recognizing the seriousness of a disorder is not always simple: the emergency department or an ambulance may therefore seem like the safest choice. The phone call introduces an intermediate step, with a doctor tasked with directing the case toward the appropriate level of care.

This logic does not produce a single outcome for every call. The assessment may stop at home management, involve waiting for the attending physician, or direct the patient to the emergency department or Servizio Autoambulanza. The table summarizes the pathways described by the project.

For citizens, the promoters indicate concrete effects: fewer journeys and shorter waiting times and, when a less burdensome form of care is appropriate, lower costs. The stated objective is to offer care commensurate with the individual patient's needs. To explore the topic of costo della vita in Svizzera, this is the economic impact explicitly linked to the project.

The handling of ambulance requests also changes level. If Centrale Ticino Soccorso classifies it as non-urgent, a pre-hospital clinical specialist may arrive at the scene for an initial assessment, without immediately mobilizing a full team. With the support of the doctor from Pronto Consulto, the specialist can direct the patient to the attending physician or another service. The report to the attending physician supports continuity of care and makes it possible, if necessary, to arrange further examinations.

A precise scope

The project is intended for citizens of the Mendrisiotto and Basso Ceresio and for requests in which it is unclear whether an urgent assessment is needed. It does not present itself as a substitute for 144, the emergency department or the attending physician. The new channel aims to improve coordination between services: it guides the patient and seeks to keep emergency facilities more available for those who need them, in line with the stated objective.

Recommended tools

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Key points

The procedure for using Pronto Consulto

For anyone with a health problem who does not know whether an urgent assessment is needed, the process begins with a phone call and continues with medical guidance. The steps indicated in the trial are concrete.

1. Call during the indicated hours

During the initial phase, the number is 091 811 30 20. It is available Monday to Friday, from 9 to 17. The service is intended for residents of Mendrisiotto and Basso Ceresio; the trial will last one year.

2. Wait for the call back

After the phone call, a hospital doctor contacts the user again within 30 minutes. When appropriate, the assessment can also take place via video call. The doctor helps determine whether the problem can be managed at home, whether the patient can wait to see their primary care physician, or whether they need to go to the Emergency Department or activate the Ambulance Service.

3. Follow the guidance received

The guidance does not replace 144, the Emergency Department or the primary care physician. If the doctor recommends managing the situation at home or waiting to see the primary care physician, the suggested course remains in place; if the doctor recommends an urgent assessment, the patient is directed to the corresponding service.

4. Handle a non-urgent ambulance request

If Centrale Ticino Soccorso classifies an ambulance request as non-urgent, a pre-hospital clinical specialist may be sent for an initial assessment, without immediately mobilizing a full team. With the support of the Pronto Consulto doctor, the specialist can identify the most suitable solution.

5. Maintain the connection

If urgent care is not needed, the patient is referred to the primary care physician or another suitable service. The primary care physician is sent a report of the assessment, ensuring continuity of care and arranging, if necessary, further tests.

The sequence is therefore clearly defined: the request reaches the service, the doctor assesses the situation, the patient receives guidance and the primary care physician is involved when urgent care is not needed. Pronto Consulto remains a link between services, not a replacement for them.

The trial will last one year. The results will be used to assess the effectiveness of the model, introduce any necessary adjustments and decide whether to make Pronto Consulto permanent. To learn more about health insurance funds, consult our dedicated tool.

Source: tio.ch