Last year’s influenza outbreak was not only severe, but drawn out. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the 21-week season, from October - May, was the longest in 10 years. Additionally, more than 600,000 people sought treatment for the flu in emergency rooms despite the CDC advising against it. As people traveled to ERs and hospitals with chills, body aches, fever, headache and other symptoms, they put everyone who came within six feet at risk of contracting the illness.
Luckily, DispatchHealth is sending its Traveling Flu Crew to homes across the country this flu season to help treat the millions of people who will contract the illness. Last year alone, DispatchHealth treated thousands of flu cases, with nearly one-fourth of all visits being flu-related during the 2018 - 2019 season. As soon as a person suspects they are sick, they can contact DispatchHealth to have a team of medical professionals arrive at their home in less than two hours to administer a rapid flu test, diagnose the patient and if necessary, provide IV fluids and prescribe medication. DispatchHealth’s Traveling Flu Crew is currently available in 14 cities across the country and will expand to 17 cities by the end of 2019.
On-demand healthcare delivery is an ideal solution for seniors and people who lack transportation , as well as people who are looking to avoid the waiting room at their doctor’s office or the local ER. If a patient is feeling flu-like symptoms, they can call DispatchHealth’s flu hotline (1-888-908-0553) to discuss their symptoms over the phone and request care, or they can visit DispatchHealth’s website or app. In less than two hours two qualified medical professionals, also known as the season’s “Traveling Flu Crew” are sent to a person’s home, office or place of need with all of the equipment and tools needed to treat complex cases. Each medical team consists of either a physician assistant or nurse practitioner, along with a DispatchHealth medical technician (DHMT) and also an on-call physician. To provide a seamless care experience, immediately after the visit and with patient consent, providers share a detailed report to each patient’s living community, home health agency and/or primary care physician.
In addition to the flu, DispatchHealth’s medical teams regularly treat common to complex injuries, illnesses and conditions including urinary tract infections, migraines, respiratory infections, sprains and fractures, joint or back pain and much more. A visit with DispatchHealth typically costs one-tenth of the price of a visit to the ER and patients pay an average of $5-$50 depending on their insurance plan. If patients are uninsured, DispatchHealth accepts a flat fee of $375, which includes any medications administered and lab tests during the visit, as well as procedures performed. DispatchHealth is partnered with most insurance companies and handles billing directly with those companies.
To learn more, visit dispatchhealth.com/flucrew.
